What A Difference A Year Makes.....

Yesterday was the second time we celebrated my birthday while living in Panamá, which makes it sound like we've been here so long.  Last year on my birthday we were in the Department of Migration in Panama City with our lawyer to initiate the process for our visas.  But since Clyde didn't have his original passport having lost it a few weeks earlier if you remember, only I could be processed through.  I remember this distinctly because the woman doing my paperwork wished me "feliz cumpleaños" with a big smile. 

But to think how much has changed in just one year!  Yesterday we went out browsing through some stores in La Chorrera and vicinity and picked up a few things.  Stopped at a Subway for lunch and started to have those feelings of "oh no, will I know how to answer all the questions?"  Those questions like "what size sandwich, what type of bread, what type of cheese, what vegetables did I want and not want, what type of condiments, did I want the combo or sandwich alone?"  But remarkably, it was so easy this time around.  Bet you never thought that ordering food at Subway could be a daunting task, did you?  Before leaving Subway I stopped to use the "bano" and saw something that impressed me which is quite unusual for a bathroom here.  A poster on the wall put out by the Ministerio de Salud, or Health Department listed the steps to proper hand washing.  With colorful pictures it instructed patrons to wash hands with soap and water then use a paper towel to turn off the water and to open the door.  Of course bathrooms here only have cold water in the sinks, but at least it encouraged hand washing. 

In the past year we'd have to say that the language has come a long way pretty much by just living here.  We haven't spent time working on our Spanish lately, at least not the book knowledge.  But we do keep a dictionary with us in the car and look up unfamiliar words as we see or hear them, hoping to be able to remember them. And watching the occasional short amount of time on the television in Spanish has helped too.

Found this cute video below:

http://www.flowgo.com/funny/1750_im-too-sexy-my-granny.html

To celebrate my birthday we danced the night away to the live music of "Poco Locos" at a restaurant in San Carlos.  This popular local band made up of mostly gringo expats, packs the house every where it performs.  Last night was no exception as they performed many oldie favorites from the past decades.  So to those that wonder what grandma and grandpa are doing in their retirement years here, some are jammin' in a band under the stars.  And others like us are swing dancing to the beat, bumping butts with other gringo grandparents.  We sure are rockin' through our retirement years but it's on the dance floor and not in a rocking chair.

Poco Loco's Band Of Mostly Expats And One Local Guy

And for a quick update on the chickens.....Clyde just went outside to feed them and noticed that one had escaped from the pen.  Once our watchful doberman Venus noticed it, she ran over and started poking at it and circling around her.  Perhaps she's just looking for a playmate since she made no attempt to eat the thing.  But then again this is the same dog that didn't realize there were chickens on her property for two days after we got them.  The information we read stated that dobie's rank 5th as far as intelligence among other dogs.  But apparently Venus never read that article or perhaps she just takes after her female owner and has some blond tendencies.

CLYDE HERE:    I have built "my version" of a chicken tractor.  This will allow me to move the chickens around as they eat the grass and poop in one area.  Remember, half of these chickens belong to my friend Daniel.  He is trying to get his chicken tractor done.  Anyway here are some pictures.

Clyde's Chicken Tractor

Still have to do some changes on the tractor
I think the ramp up to the laying area is too steep for them

Hay will be put in these for laying eggs

Yes, they are practically teenagers!



Clyde is busy looking for wood to buy to make new kitchen cabinets. Wood here is sold in log form and then has to be cut, planed and left to dry.  But in an environment with year round, high humidity, it's nearly impossible for anything to dry properly.  He went in search of anyone in Panamá that has kiln dried wood, but will have to have it shipped in from the other end of the country.  It's more costly but hopefully will create a better product in the long run.  Furniture here is made from wet wood and as it dries it tends to crack and split causing problems.  And since termites love to dine on wood, only teak and cedar seem to be used here.

Clyde is outside mowing the street with his riding mower, as the neighbors look at him in awe.  Grass grows so fast here we can practically watch it grow, and it needs constant upkeep.  A bit of cloud cover is making it a bit cooler, although there's no breeze at all.  But after two large cups of hot, strong coffee I'm sitting here glistening in sweat.  Time to enjoy a cool shower and get on with this day, although I have no idea what may come our way....along the gringo trail.

Trimming The Hole....

If you remember back in April before we moved into our house in Chame we decided to make a hole in the wall to open up the kitchen.  Actually I decided the room needed opening up, and Clyde was the one that had to figure out how to do it.  Knocking a hole through cement block is hard work, dirty, dangerous and very messy.  By the end of that day I was in tears because as the blocks came tumbling down they scratched appliances, freshly painted walls and left a trail of dust that would linger forever. 

Making a mess from the kitchen side

Nice and clean easy work



For the past five months the hole was opened up but still needed trimming, and also some repair work on tiles that broke in the process.  Since wood is hard to come by here, and even harder to dry properly before using it, Clyde had an idea.  One day while shopping at El Machetazo in Coronado, he went up to the third floor where they have a small hardware section.  Next to the escalator, sitting on the floor were some odd boxes of rough, brick tile and he thought this might work around the opening. After a whole day of working on it and many trips back and forth to the store later, the wall is done and looks great!

Living room side

Close up of the tiles

The kitchen side



When he opened up the hole some of the 30 year old white tile on the side broke, beyond where he was going to put the trim.  He ran out to buy some tile that looked similar, but could not find any four inch tile, and was told that it's not being used anymore.  So instead we had to create something out of nothing.  Clyde filled in the gaps with just any old tile that he bought, and with my trusty paintbrush I tried to make it look like the rest of the wall.  The old tile is white with gray specks sort of throughout. 

And along the top of the kitchen sits a row of decorative border tile in blue and white.  Once the hole was opened some of the nearby border tile fell one day.  Apparently it was never installed properly and was bulging in the middle like it never really fit into the allotted slot.  And to make matters worse, one day about a month ago I was standing at the kitchen counter doing something, when five of the border tiles above my head came tumbling down.  They broke onto the counter and floor, nicking the already old counter top and barely missing me.  But fortunately when Clyde made the opening we saved the blue and white trim tiles and amazingly had just enough to fill in all the holes.  So the walls of the kitchen are done, now on to the next project.

Clyde is still trying to find wood to rebuild the kitchen cabinets, which he'll do as he replaces the counter top.  The problem here in Panamá is that wood is available in either cedar or teak.  But in such a moist environment it takes forever to dry, if it ever really does.  And if wood is not properly dried it cracks later on after the items are made.  Even in the states wood is usually put into a kiln to dry out since it takes so long, whereas here they let it air dry.  Wood here is purchased by the whole log and then cut up and allowed to dry, which takes months and months. 

My partner in creativity and I were discussing yesterday how we both enjoy putting our own touches on our home.  We can't imagine being the type of people that pay someone else to design, build and decorate the whole house.  This old house has so much character and if the walls could talk it would have great stories to tell.  And now the two of us are adding to those stories, with our escapades and antics of making it our own.  And not to mention that we're doing all this in a foreign country where things are done differently.

But like we've said before, doing things different is not necessarily wrong, just different.  Living as two gringos in the midst of chocolate skinned people, we stand out and embrace our differences here in Panamá....along the gringo trail.

A Little Something Fishy.....

You would think that in a tiny country surrounded by two oceans it would be easy to buy fresh seafood, but it's really not, unless you know where to look.  There are a few fish markets where local fishermen sell their catch of the day but they usually sell out early in the morning.  Directly on the beach in Gorgona is one fish co-op and there's another down the road in San Carlos.  But since the cook of this house who's also my loving husband doesn't like to get up early, we usually miss out.  Most of the fish we eat is frozen tilapia filet's from Price Mart in Panama City. Although it's healthy, low in calories and we just love it cooked with Cajun seasoning on it, sometimes we crave something else.

One day recently we craved shrimp and went out to buy some.  Since it was late in the day all the local fish markets were closed.  Coronado has three nice, modern grocery stores but there was no shrimp to be found in any of them.  Remembering back to our first trip to Panamá, when we first set eyes on the El Rey Shopping Plaza in Coronado we spotted something we couldn't forget.  A local man stood near the street in the parking lot with his arm raised up, proudly displaying large shrimp.  The ugly creatures were basking in the hot sun and we couldn't help but wonder how long they'd been out of refrigeration.  Actually I thought it was rather disgusting and couldn't imagine buying shrimp that way.  But since we've moved here other expats talk about buying shrimp and other fish from him, so it must be safe.

Two pounds of fresh shrimp



His name is Jorge Gonzalez  and apparently he buys shrimp from local fishermen then resells them at a profit to tourists and locals alike.  Monday afternoon we stopped to check out his stash and bought some large, lovely shrimp for just $3.00 a pound.  Clyde grilled up some shrimp kabobs for dinner, a delicious treat that we haven't had in a while.

                                                                             

Yesterday Clyde moved the chickens from the brooder into a larger co-op with trays for laying eggs.  Venus our dobie is still way too interested in them, poking her snout through the chicken wire trying to get to them.  Yet as soon as Clyde stops paying attention to the chickens, so does Venus.  Not sure how this whole thing will turn out, but these eggs we don't have yet are turning out to be rather costly and stressful.

Woke up today to a gorgeous 81 degrees with less humidity.  The wind's blowing, the sun shining bright and our neighbors are yelling at each other in Spanish.  Ah life in Panamá....where a Spanish lesson is only an ear shot away.  They're a young couple with two toddlers, which can make for a stressful situation. An American guy married to a local gal, they keep to themselves other than the occasional wave "hi" when we pass them in the street.

Another rough day in paradise.  First our morning walk with the dog, then off to the gym followed by chillin' out in the pool near the gym.  While hanging out Clyde made the comment that this is "hump day" which was a joke in our working days.  Hump day refers to it being Wednesday, which means that half of the work week is gone, and all eyes are focused on the weekend.  But since we're no longer part of the working world, hump day doesn't matter.  Wednesday is just another day like all the others now and I might add that it's absolutely wonderful!  People worry about being bored during the retirement years but it's nothing but delightful.  Having time to do whatever I want to is just grand.  Be it exercise, taking a walk, doing a craft project, reading a book or taking a nap. It's having the freedom to enjoy life without work getting in the way.  It's nice to be able to enjoy our home, our relationship, and our life and all that it has to offer.  I can't imagine ever being bored as there's so much to do, I just don't know how I ever had time to work.

Tomorrow perhaps I'll do, whatever it is I feel like doing once again, while the rest of the world is at work, and we're here embracing life....along the gringo trail.

A Life To Remember....

Since I began this blog we've opened up our hearts and lives to the world with the joyous, sad and most mundane happenings.  As a child I remember feeling like I'd explode if I didn't write down my thoughts as they came up.  It was my way of self expression throughout my years of growing up. So today in light of some tragic news I just had to write about it to keep my head from popping off.

Last night my Mom lost her battle with lung cancer, and passed away peacefully in a hospital in New Jersey.  Born Theresa Balcer in 1930, she was the only girl in a family of four brothers.  Growing up in downtown Jersey City, NJ she learned to speak Polish at an early age while helping her Mom tend to the care of her younger brothers. 

During her first marriage to Joseph Michaels she was blessed with two children.  Maryann was the first born, then a son to be named after his father Joseph.  Tragically her husband died and she was widowed at a young age, left with two small children.  Obviously I don't know much about this relationship since I wasn't around yet.

She married Robert Haber and gave birth to another daughter, Theresa Roberta Haber.  They thought they were being clever with the name being a combination of both mother and father's, but of course I always hated it.  Since Dad wasn't much for travel we became the first family in the neighborhood to have an inground swimming pool.  They taught us all to swim at an early age which led Joe and I to pursue competitive swimming in school.  They both worked hard to give us kids the best of everything, although being the youngest I think I was blessed with a bit more.  After I graduated from high school they decided to move to Florida but Dad passed away while they were in the process.  I was just 19 at the time.  Mom had always hated cold temperatures and proceeded with the move alone, which changed the course of her life. After selling our childhood home in New Jersey she moved to Spring Hill, Florida. Since Dad wasn't much on change he really would have rathered stay in NJ, and I'd always joked that he died to get out of moving to Florida.

Soon after she settled into life in Florida she met Clifford Cox, who had relocated from Maine.  She had to rent a house while her home was being built and Cliff moved into the rental after she did.  Due to a mixup over him getting her electric bill in the mail, was his excuse to knock on her door.  They married and spent half the year in Florida and half the year in Maine.  The cottage on Grand Lake in Maine was gorgeous but Mom hated leaving the warmth of her Florida home.  Cliff loved to travel and Mom told stories of him picking her up from her morning walk and wisking her away.  She'd tell him, "but I have to stop home and get clothes," to which he'd say "whatever you need we'll buy along the way" and that's what they did.  They spent many years traveling the country and having a blast, but Cliff died and she was alone again.

Being the fitness, and health nut that Mom was, she faithfully walked six miles every morning. One day she took a different route home and saw a tall, good looking, gentleman watering his front yard.  She stopped to chat and the rest was history.  Her and Bernard Mulligan married and she sold her house and moved into his.  Although Bernie was a homebody, she convinced him to travel and they went on many cruises.  He was content staying at home with his homing pigeons that he raced on weekends. Bernie passed away too leaving Mom alone again.

Mom's 82nd Birthday in July 2012

I remember Mom telling me a story about a fortune teller who many years ago told her she would marry four times.  She thought this sounded crazy but it turned out to be true.  She was fortunate enough to be able to retire at age 50 and travel. Yet when I announced to her that I was retiring at age 51 and moving to Panamá her first response was "you're too young to retire."  After reminding her that she did something similar she agreed and said "life is too short, so enjoy it while you can."

Mom this past July



Perhaps Mom gave me her same name expecting me to grow up and be like her, which is not always a good thing.  When people are too much alike they tend to butt heads and that's we did.  But like Mom I grew up with a love for health and fitness, enjoy travel, cleanliness, and sunshine.  Both stubborn, feisty, and outspoken with a love for life and people.  She instilled in me the dislike of anything not clean, or disorderly and to this day I'm almost obcessive about it. 



From left to right my cousin Kevin, Aunt Charlotte, me...in front Kevin's wife Dawn, Mom and Dawn's kids...in the pool is Uncle Joe.  Taken at my sister Maryann's house in NJ

 

 

The doors of Heaven opened wide to accept Mom in, as she was welcomed by those that went before her.  Her only son Joe is anxiously awaiting her arrival along with her parents and four husbands.  It's with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write these words.  She will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved her.  We were fortunate to have recently visited with her in New Jersey for her 82nd birthday in July.  She always told us kids, "if you want to see me come while I'm alive, not after I'm dead."  At last she's painfree and cancer free enjoying her new existence wherever it is that we go after we leave this life.  We all have our own beliefs on this subject, but I like to think she's gone to her happy place, lying in the sun, basking in the warmth of loved ones.  She had a great life full of fun and adventure.  Let's celebrate her life eventhough we'll miss her physical presence and know that she's looking down joining us in spirit....along the gringo trail.



Mom and Me in my sisters pool

Less Terrifying Than Last Year......

Today was a good day in Panamá!  Since we've lived here one year now it was time to renew our car registration and have the car inspected.  Since we had absolutely no idea where to have either done, we enlisted the help of a friend.  Our good friend Phil seems to either have a photographic memory or writes everything down as he does it.  He gave Clyde a detailed list of where to go, how to find the place and what to bring.  With a folder of paperwork in hand full of necessary documents, off we went on our 90 minute drive into Panama City. 

Our first stop was a place called Auto-K for the inspection.  Phil suggested we ask for an Asian women named Alicia that speaks English.  She was sweet and very helpful and made the process painless.  Clyde watched the car as the mechanic drove it near the building, and parked it on a certain spot.  He pointed out a camera to Clyde that was connected to a computer screen.  After taking a picture he moved the car a bit for a different angle, and snapped a few more photos and the inspection was complete.  When we were buying the car last year Luis, the salesman happened to mention they did yearly inspections here to which I said "really?....do they inspect the horn to make sure it works since that's the only think you Panamanians seem to care about?"  He didn't get the joke but cars here are driven without brake lights, without head lights, without bumpers, doors etc.  And many have large clouds of black smoke coming out of their exhaust pipes choking the driver in the car behind them.

There goes the old license plate!



Now back to my story of today's journey.  Next stop was to get our new license plates at one of the seven offices in the city.  Which office we had to use depended on the first two numbers on our license plate.  According to the numbers we had to use the office in the Hatillo Building.  Since this is one of the busier offices with long lines, Phil suggested that we pay for the plates at the office in Balboa first then pick up the plates at the other office.  So after making our way through traffic in Balboa, it took only a few minutes to pay our $29 and then off we went to to the other office to wait in line.  After finding a parking spot and finding which building to go into, we were amazed that the lines were not too long and we escaped in a relatively short amount of time.   Believe me, if we would have done ALL the paperwork here we would have been there for hours!

Spotted this scooter made for the rains of Panama!
Really don't see too many on the road.

  It was parked in front of a store called "The Snob Shop."



Since it was around noon we stopped for lunch at a Mexican Restaurant then headed over toward Albrook Mall to find the Sertracen building to renew our drivers licenses.  Because they had our information on record from last year, we went through the line quickly.  After registering we were asked a few questions, then moved to another station for an eye exam, then had to take a simple hearing test in another room.  Last year this whole process was terrifying to say the least!  It was my first experience of being one on one with someone that spoke NO English while they were asking me questions that I had to answer.  This year it was SO much easier, although I was still nervous.  During the eye exam when she asked me to read line "cinco" for a few seconds my nerves got the best of me and I had no idea what number that was.  I read line five like I was supposed to then got sidetracked and read line seven.  She switched to colors and I managed to remember how to say those in Spanish and we were done.  She was supposed to make me identify a few traffic signs but I must have made her so confused that she gave up and sent me to the next person.  Then the next girl explained how to take the hearing test in Spanish to which I asked a few questions, before I understood what she was telling me.  From there I had to pay my $40 at one window and then sit and wait for the completed license to be handed to me from another window.  So this process is now complete for another four years.

With good directions in hand and someone who knows his way around Panama City behind the wheel of the car, we completed all the above tasks in about four hours once we reached the city.  This even included stopping for a leisurely lunch along the way.

As the sun goes down on yet another day I take notice of bats flying by outside the window.  Eagerly chomping up zillions of bugs they're a welcomed friend as are the geckos we share our home with.  Frogs loudly sing a melodic symphony in the swamp nearby as geckos chirp loudly announcing their presence for the evening.  As the daunting tasks of today are behind us we look forward to the next task that comes our way here in Panamá....along the gringo trail.

The Highway on the way to Panama City
they are expanding two lanes into three

but in the meantime, what the hell lines are we supposed to use?

These are some Red Bananas (guineos rojos)

that our Phil brought us down from his fruit farm

It's Been One Year.....in Panamá!

Last year at this time Clyde and I were on a plane excited to begin our new lives in Panamá.  With eyes wide open, we jumped in head first not quite sure how things would turn out.  As you all know from a year of blogging, it's been a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs.  But with more ups than downs we faced each new challenge as it happened and always managed to see the light.  And since today is also Clyde's birthday we planned a combo anniversary and birthday party yesterday with friends. 

These are all our new friends from Panama
I like to take candid pictures at parties
instead of "posed" ones

Don't even ask how this
"chino" guy got into the party



As two o'clock rolled around, the guests arrived and so did the rain.  What began as a bright, sunny day turned into a deluge of showers.  But this is the rainy season in Panamá, so no frets allowed.  Instead we all just waited it out and took cover under the gazebo, after grabbing some grub to stuff our faces with.  The rain was actually a welcomed relief as it cooled off the temperature.  Blowing through the gazebo giving everyone a light shower didn't stop anyone from eating the yummy collection of foods and dessert items.  It made us all realize how we've adapted to life in Panamá when getting sprinkled with rain doesn't effect much of anything.

Yep!  We made it one year!



Every guest brought a dish to share making it a fun way to try new foods without all the fuss.  A while later after the rain moved away it was time to pull out our anniversary cake and ice cream.  The party wrapped up around dusk as we said our good byes.  With a fridge full of leftovers, no need to cook today as we chill out enjoying Clyde's birthday.

Looking forward to our next year in Panamá which surely will be full of new adventures, good friends and buckets full of good times....along the gringo trail.

Around The Neighborhood......

Every morning when we walk Venus we pass by a tiny, cement corner building with a patio full of tables and chairs.  The small dwelling has a large window open on one side where people inside can hand out food.  Every morning there's people sitting at the tables but since there's no sign indicating it's a restaurant, we're just not sure.  Lazy street dogs protect the area, including some new feisty pups with an attitude.  An incoherent, old, Panamanian man always rambles something to us in Spanish after we say "bueno dio" to him.  His speech is so slurred together we're sure we wouldn't understand him if he were speaking English.  Usually toddlers are jumping around and playing too, perhaps "abuela" is babysitting her grand kids.

A few days ago while passing by we heard a tiny voice yell out "gringos."  It caught me off guard and what they said didn't even register at first.  Again we heard "gringos....gringos" in a high pitched, tiny voice, as we walked by. Clyde looked at me and commented, "out of the mouths of babes." He said the child was a "little bitty fart, maybe a four year old."    We laughed about it and I wished we would have stopped to see how the child reacted to us getting closer.  Was this a racial remark or just a kid repeating a word it had heard?  Did the word conjure up an image of a bad, white person that wasn't wanted in this country?  Each morning we walk by the adults gathered at this little spot always say "bueno dia" or make other small talk about the weather.  And we make a point of saying good morning or giving a wave to every Panamanian that we pass by, either on foot or in vehicles.

Also on our walk we pass by a lovely house on a working sheep farm, that sits across from this little airport.  Farm hands are usually out in the field working with the animals while two mean, barking dogs protect the property.  The house is usually vacant except for the occasional weekend party.  Lately we've noticed large amounts of wood laid out to dry in the hot sun.  One day when Clyde went on the walk without me he spotted the home owner there and stopped to inquire about the wood since he's looking to buy some.  We met Manuel, the manager of the sheep farm. 

This is the house at the sheep farm

Some of the teca (teak) lined up to dry



Manuel speaks some English and asked Clyde to come up with how much wood he needed in square feet.  Next he and Clyde will go to the land he has to pick out a teak tree.  Manuel will have it cut down and then it will be taken to another place to be cut into planks and then planed, after which it will need to dry before it can be used for furniture making.  Clyde is so brave about approaching the locals and speaking to them in Spanish!

We noticed these neighbors have corn drying in the hot sun.  The locals at this home always seem to be busy doing something.  Victor the husband seems to collect and sell junk for money.  In fact he's the one that took all of our old, filthy toilets, sinks, ceiling fans and whatever else we put by the roadside. But he always asks Clyde if he can have them first then goes to get his wheel barrow to bring them home.  Two generations seem to live in this house, or in other homes nearby.  The women spend the day washing clothes, hanging them out to dry and cooking.  The daughters seem to help Mama with the chores while the boys help the men.  It seems everywhere we go around this area, we spot Victor collecting junk, selling mangoes or hustling up other work.  Either he really gets around or all of the locals look the same.

Victor's yard with corn
laid out to dry in the sun

 

 

The chicks are growing nicely and we're trying to divert Venus' attention away from them.  The first week or so she'd sit in front of the brooder staring at them, mesmerized and drooling.  It's the drooling that has us worried since that's a sign she wants them for her next meal and not as friends to hang out with.  So I did some online research about how to stop dogs from going after chickens, even though it's a natural predatory instinct.  Someone posted his solution and since it was easy and free I mentioned it to Clyde and this is how it works.

 

The male head of household must let the dog know that the chickens belong to him.  And to make the dog understand this one must think like an animal.  In the dog world when a dog pees on something it's his way of marking the area, and claiming it as his or her own.  So the male head of household being Clyde, would pee around the chicken coop.  He then turned to Venus and told her in a loud voice, "these are my chickens."  Then he made her come over and smell where he marked and then chased her away, again speaking loudly that the chickens are his.  It has worked for the most part and she only ventures back to the coop when Clyde goes out to feed and tend to them.  Before that she would sit there all day long just staring at them and trying to eat the poop that falls to the ground.  She still does try to eat the chicken poop sometimes and Clyde yells at her and chases her away.  I thought we'd spare you a photo depicting the above situation, although Clyde was all too willing to pose for the shot.  

 

 

Poor Venus is stressed enough barking at the birds taking up residence in what she thinks is "her mango tree."  She sits underneath the tree barking, jumping up and wondering why there are no more mangoes falling down from the tree.  Surely it must be those pesky birds up there, she must be thinking.  But mango season is over until next year when she'll once again have an endless food source falling from the sky, or so it seems.  If you happen to see some round, fat, mango shaped birds flying over your house perhaps they're the ones eating her mangoes.

 

Took a trip to Westland Mall yesterday for a few things.  It's on the Pan American Highway near La Chorrera and boasts three floors of great shopping.  Picked up some pretty red and white floral, linen "mantel de mesa" or tablecloths for our outdoor tables.  They were on clearance for $2.99 each along with some matching place mats for just 49 cents.  Clyde always stops to look at ladies shoes amazed at how nice and how cheap they are, but later complains about how many shoes I have.  So once again I had to stand strong and tell him not to encourage me to look at the shoes, since I really don't need anymore....right now anyway.

 

Since Clyde was starving we stopped for a bite to eat at the food court.  Amazed at how many American fast food restaurants have made their way to Panamá.  McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Popeyes, KFC, Subway, Quiznos, Dairy Queen, and Duncan Donuts just to name a few.  With all the comforts of home we settled for Leonardo's a local pizza chain cheaper than the US counterparts.  For around $6.50 we shared a combo pizza with 8 slices and a drink.  The pizza was slathered with a heavy mix of green and black olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, ham, and chicken flavored with some orange stuff which gave it the appearance of broken up crunchy cheese doodles. For a moment I wondered if they did put broken up cheese doodles on a pizza since nothing would surprise us here.  After all they put strange things like tuna and palm hearts on pizza, and mix jello in with ice cream sundaes, so we can't let anything surprise us.

 

As for now headed out to pick up a few groceries for tomorrow's fiesta here at our casa.  Since Monday will be our ONE Year Anniversary of living in Panamá we needed to celebrate.  Monday is also Clyde's birthday giving us even more reason to party.  And something about retired people and parties....all we need to do is say the word and they come a running with potluck dish in hand.  And we're the same way always ready and willing to visit someones house, enjoy their company and share some food. 

 

A little food, good friends, a few drinks and a little chicken poop make life one big adventure in Panamá....along the gringo trail.