2RetireesInPanama: IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Getting to our holiday in a bit, I am really excited about my day at the pool today. I know, probably won't be as exciting for most, but today I was finally able to carry on a conversation in the pool with a Panamanian woman in Spanish. For the most part. And the same for Ray. This past week, Ray and I have been at the beach and pool of the Coronado Bay complex. While the beach was for walking and very quiet New Year's Eve, it was action packed on New Year's Day. Panamanians that live full time in the city made their way to the interior, as well as vacationers from all over. While swimming and resting at the pool, Ray and I met a wonderful family from Connecticut, and we also chatted with another woman from Colorado. That was normal. Good to connect with other Gringos. We talked about our love for Panama these past five months.

Busy beach on New Year's Day

Quieter at the pool (at this point, many had gone to their condos for lunch, and then returned)

But today, we decided we would stay local and float in the pool here in our development. We heard the sounds of children. Oh dear haha There were three men (Ray and two brothers) along with four children (ages 5-12) and two women (me and perhaps an aunt of the boys). The boys were playing football (soccer in US, of course) with their dads. So I decided I would start a conversation with the woman in the pool. Like the little engine that could, I kept thinking "I think I can..." and I kept putting my sentences together in my head ahead of time. I was able to tell her that my daughter plays soccer in the US, but she is twenty- two years old (she is old is what I said next, because I didn't know how to say she is older than those little five year olds!), we talked about where we lived, where she lived and that she is visiting Chame. She spoke a little English, too. When I started speaking in Spanish, she said something in English. This is when I thought I need to always be on the look out for those Panamanians that may speak or understand English! And while sitting poolside drying off a bit, I practiced listening to the banter in the pool and realizing that I could actually understand just a little bit more than what I could last year (just two days ago, I know). Still more to learn, but our Spanish teacher would be so proud!

With summer season comes an influx of visitors to the interior. I told Ray today somedays I want peace and quiet like we had in the months of August-October (when no one was at this pool!), but somedays I want to be entertained by little boys playing football and doing cannonballs in the pool. Somedays I want to talk poolside to other Gringos from the US, Canada and Europe, and other days, I get a kick out of trying to figure out the conversations of those little boys in the pool with their dads.

Also, with the holiday this past week there has been a huge influx of cars and traffic on the roads. Along with traffic has come quite a few accidents. There was a horrible crash at the intersection into Coronado (where the beach is), and with this, a Panamanian woman was killed. This intersection has now been closed off to drivers wanting to turn left across the highway. Drivers now have to proceed farther along the highway, and initially with a policeman directing traffic, we were able to make a U-turn. The policeman is now gone. Also, when leaving Coronado, drivers cannot proceed across the busy highway and turn left. Now to turn left, you must turn right and make a U-turn farther east (again, with a policeman directing traffic, and he is now gone, also). And as of today, that spot has been blocked off, so drivers have to drive even farther east to make a U-turn to go back west. And by the way, most U-turns are illegal. Wonder if this is permanent? Quite possibly. A mess. Yesterday, Ray and I left Coronado at four pm driving the two lane highway towards Chame. The cabs and buses made the two lane road a three lane road wherever possible. Now on Highway I-95 in Virginia, there were those drivers that would ride the shoulder to get three or four cars ahead. And there were those angry and, rightly so, frustrated drivers that would drive halfway in the right lane and halfway in the shoulder to block those rule breakers. Not here. Let the cabs and buses go ahead. This seemed like it made traffic flow a little better, because two lanes were turned into three lanes here and there. I have seen in pictures that in the past, those that govern and police the highway here turn the heaviest traveled road into three lanes (so let's say going east from the interior to Panama City is a mess, one lane in the west direction would be turned into a lane for more cars to travel east). Odd to see in the pictures, but perhaps it works. I have yet to experience this traffic nightmare.

Another thing Ray and I have seen a lot of this past week are the fires along the road in the brush, and the bomberos (firefighters) in trucks with sirens wailing up and down the highway. On New Year's Eve, there was a large warehouse in Coronado that burned down. So with dry season brings traffic, fires, hotter temperatures and winds (still loving these!). And speaking of fires, there were also bonfires on the beach and in front yards along the highway. In the bonfires, there were those effigies being set afire. A new year and new beginning. The bonfires are to burn the evil spirits negativity, bad luck and failures of the past year. Burning those life-size effigies that are symbols of the Old Year in these bonfires represent burning troubles, miseries and evil energies of the past year. http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-traditions/panama.html
And going along with fires, flames and sparks, there was New Year's Eve and the fireworks! What a night New Year's Eve was watching the Panamanians and the Gringos on the beach and from their homes in Coronado set up and shoot off fireworks and sky, or wish, lanterns from dusk until New Year's morning when I think everyone must have passed out from inebriation and fatigue.
Our New Year's Eve started at the gym. This is another place where, with summer season, there are now a few more residents at the resort. And along with me on the elliptical machine, a good friend came in to work out as well. (Also today, the owner of the gym joined us bringing some good music along with him and making it two more people working out with me than usual in the past few months.) Once I returned, Ray and I walked the beach, went to the pool and for dinner we dined at Picasso's. Picasso's Happy Hour was extended until ten pm, and there was a DJ playing an compilation of music from the classic movie, Saturday Night Fever, to the Electric Slide and more. We sat and dined with a couple that is visiting Panama for a month from Oregon. They had just received their temporary pensionado card, and they were keeping busy discovering other towns as well as the realty in those towns. When it was time to leave, we exchanged emails and certainly will keep in touch with them. They are unsure when they will move to Panama, but I think they are sure Panama is the country for them to retire to now.

After rediscovering our love for Sangria, Ray and I walked to the Coronado Bay complex where we then watched random, although frequently shot off, fireworks and lanterns. Others were shooting off noisy firecrackers. For three hours, fireworks were being shot off into the sky. We had no idea what to expect at midnight, but we had been told it would be an amazing sight from the rooftop! As midnight approached, we saw many expats with coolers and large bottles of tasty beverages. We were entertained watching Panamanian families set up buffet tables by the pool. A few at a time would step off the elevator with serving dishes and platters of appetizers, entrees and desserts! According to an article in The Visitor newspaper (Panama's tourism newspaper), the table should have oranges and bread to attract prosperity. This past week, Ray and I saw large, round, wreath-like loaves being sold at all of the grocery stores. The vote is still out whether it is a tasty bread or not. Horrors when bread doesn't taste good! Another tradition is that twelve grapes are eaten at midnight to bring in good luck for every month. We saw that the Panamanians were dressed in white and many had red hats. Wearing new clothes, especially red, will also bring luck in the New Year. And sweeping the house inside and out gets rid of bad influences. I did none of the above, and neither did Ray. We were wearing yellows, blues, greens and pinks (me). I did have fruit in my Sangria, but not round pieces. And our outfits were not new. Plus, my house had been cleaned the week prior to returning back from Virginia, so no need to sweep on that day! Once midnight struck, the confusion came as to what side we should be standing on to view the fireworks! But we soon realized it was all so perfect. We, along with many other expats and Panamanians, walked back and forth or stood still watching the homeowners light up the skies trying to outdo one another with brilliant colors, shapes and trails of light! We loved seeing the lanterns float up to the sky over the Pacific Ocean. Many families on the rooftop lit lanterns for us, so we could see the process first hand hoping the very first wind would wisk it away while I made wish after wish to bring in the New Year! Looking east we saw multiple fireworks being set off simultaneously, and looking west we saw people on the beach below setting off their fireworks and burning the bonfires. Ray and I were there for close to an hour saying hi and chatting with friends along the way (but trying to keep our eyes on the skies as well), and we were told by many that this year seemed "scaled back a bit" compared to the last few years. Wow! If this was scaled back...

The beginning of setting up the buffet tables.

Multiple fireworks light up the sky.

The firework show begins

A lone sparkler in the sky

Lighting the first of many lanterns.

Letting it go up and away!

On our drive home, we left the sights and sounds behind us only to drive right underneath fireworks being shot off directly from the highway. Once in Casa 40, we could hear distant fireworks still being shot off, a few at three am (I wasn't really awake but heard a noise hear and there) and even a few when we woke at seven am (way too early, but again, it's a darn habit!). We were told while sitting poolside again on New Year's Day (I had to continue the pattern this past week), the fireworks went on until the early hours of the morning in Coronado. We had a few friends that went into the city to stay in hotels to see the fireworks there, and we were told the parties went all night into the early morning hours. I had my fill by seeing the spectacle at the start of dusk and for the next seven hours. Ray and I were just amazed and in awe of the beauty of this holiday, and how the Panamanians embrace their time off and their celebrations. The Panamanians are so friendly and happy despite what they have or don't have, and this is just another really great reason why we chose this country to call home when not in the US.