It feels great to be back! Looking back at the photos from our first adventures in Panama back in the Fall of 2015 felt like peering into a dream. Did that really happen? The kids looked so young! How did we pull it off? I don't know the answers, but somehow we lived here for 13-months. We returned to the States for 11-months and now we're back!
Pulling out of Mexico City after an overnight layover...
We love it here! The people, the vibe, the environment & the language.
We felt the love as soon as we arrived in Panama City where we were hosted by our friends from Bocas who had since moved to the big city. We always had a good time doing our tourist-thing romping through the city, but with their inside knowledge we got to learn some of the local knowledge on what makes it tick.
For example, stories were shared about how taxi drivers are known to arbitrarily throw you out of their taxi if they change their mind on wanting to deliver you to your destination. Malea and I were thrilled to then experience this firsthand!
After visiting my surfboard shaper we flagged a taxi back to the hotel. We jumped in the car and he pulled away. We then told him our destination. Our driver frowned, said he wasn't going that way, pulled over and told us to get out. Malea & I stepped out of the car laughed and gave each other a high-five for being kicked out for the first time!
Synchronicity is in the air for us in this country. Before we arrived Alisa was talking about getting another tattoo from the same artist while we were here. She knew that the artist split her time between Bocas and Panama City. On our 1st day walking around we passed a couple tattoo shops right around the corner from our friend's place and Alisa suspected that one of them was where she worked. On that same block we past a mural that was a striking resemblance to Alisa's first tat.
THEN, when we reached our friends' place who do you think was standing in the elevator when the doors opened??? Yes, the tattoo artist! And she doesn't even live in the building!
Needless to say.......Alisa got fresh ink 2 days later! [Ink not shown😉]
Our friends were gracious hosts opening their home to us. We basked in their warmth for 3 nights before making our traditional stay at the Radisson for a couple nights. Their breakfast and proximity to the mall served us well for our time off the island. The mall is home to the arcade where the girls first became enamored with full-sized video games.
We stopped there for a couple days so Alisa could take care of some dental work with the wonderful dentist we met. We always stay at the same place Hotel Alcala that has the best restaurant in town. Everyone who works there is so lovely dovey....it's like stepping into an episode of Cheers! Of all the restaurants we've frequented throughout my life this is the only one where we hug the servers on our last day.
Someone's been sleeping in my bed!
Finally, it was time to jump on the bus to Almirante where we would catch a Launcha (small passenger ferry) to the island. The journey was pre-destined. At the bus we got the last row to ourselves and then at the ferry we jumped right into the last 4 seats without delay and were cruising over smooth waters to our beloved island.
Cutest passenger on our van ride to the docks of Almirante.
Riding the familiar ferry it was like we never left. And pulling up to the island felt like coming home. It took us 45-minutes to make the 3 block walk to our lodging as we got and gave love to all the familiar faces. More to come on that later...
Alisa hooked us up with a sweet pad as usual. Second floor apartment over the water: Diving board, laundry service & half-block from our favorite grocery store! Whereas on our earlier stay here we had a little beach shack that had it's own charms; it also had a rustic (buggy) element. This place is the opposite. It still has the all wood beach shack feel, but with sealed walls and windows, ceiling fans in every room & a/c for Mrs. Alisa.
It's been over 3 weeks already and so much more has happened. We've already made a trip back to David. Kid's have played with their island buddies.....and us too! Alisa got recruited to start up her Pilates class again. Darrick's been surfing, surfing & more surfing!
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