Cousins & Carnavales!

This is the story of one of the wildest parties I have ever attended. The best part of it all: I got to share this incredible Panamanian fiesta with 2 awesome cousins of mine. Only a few days after my immediate family finished their trip here (a story that still needs to be told…) I got a message from Jeff (my cousin), asking what I would think about him and Susie (other cousin) coming to visit in February. Yes, Please! (Head's up - almost all of these photos were taken by Susie, without them this blog wouldn't be the same. Thank you Susie!)

So happy these two came to visit! 

So the planning began, and next thing I knew they were on their way here. Susie is a natural planner who loves to take full advantage of her limited time off of work to travel. Jeff works as a flight attendant, and can travel the world for stupid cheap (I won’t tell you how cheap because it will just make you mad) – and as such is very flexible. Perfect combo for making the most of a week in a foreign country.

Primos en Panama City

The week they happened to have available to come see me turned out to be the same week as Carnaval – so I knew some crazy shenanigans were in order. Supposedly, only one other country celebrates Carnaval with more fanfare and hooplah... Brazil. Maybe you've heard of it? ;) For those that need a tiny Carnaval explanation – it’s basically the same thing as Mardi Gras, but it’s celebrated for 4 days beginning on Saturday (in some cases even earlier) instead of just on Fat Tuesday. It ends on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. Basically it's seen as a chance to get all your sins and reckless abandon out of your system before behaving reverently for the 40 days leading up to Easter. If you need more than that – Google it. The point is, Panamanians like to party. And at this point in the year, they go all out.

It's bout to get CRAY

Panamanians do it differently than other countries though, incorporating something known as “Culecos” into the day-time celebrations. Basically these are giant trucks filled with water, parked in the streets with people spraying water through a fire hose on a mass of dancing, happy people. In addition to this, everyone that owns a water gun (every kid in Panama) brings it out to soak their friends. Sounds Awesome right?? It WAS. But first let me explain how I got us there.

Staying dry is not an option!

So although Susie planned basically every other detail of their journey (major props to her), my job was to figure out how we were going to celebrate Carnaval while they were here. Naturally, I asked my roommates and co-workers for advice on where to go, what to expect, etc. While chatting with my boss Heidi, we decided the best strategy would be for me to go with Jeff and Susie to Penonomé – the local capital of the Coclé province (El Valle is also in this province), which is known for some of the wilder Carnaval parties in the country. The tradition of celebrating Carnaval actually began in the towns and cities of the interior provinces, not in Panama city. As a result, the parties there are the craziest. Most importantly, it wasn’t too far away – only about 1.5 hrs in a bus. 

From the blue dot (El Valle) to Penonomé – that’s like 1 cm, not far at all! 

The trickiest part of the whole plan to go to Penonomé would be finding a place to stay. So I sent out a couple couchsurfing requests, and waited with crossed fingers. The next morning, my wishes came true – but in a way I hadn't even imagined. At work, Heidi told me her husband Edgardo (co-founder of EVACC – major frog saver and all-around bad ass) wanted to take us to Penonomé for Carnaval to make sure we had a good time and stayed safe. He could drive us there and he had a friend in town who’s house we could stay at, and he’d accompany us to the festivals to make sure we did it right. JACKPOT!!!! Planning done.

The Carnaval Crew

So when Susie and Jeff finally arrived in El Valle, I was beyond excited. So was the entire country – well those that enjoy Carnaval that is. Obviously not everyone is a partier - some Panamanians don’t even leave their houses during Carnaval and others flee the country to avoid the mayhem that ensues during these 4 days. But we were headed right for the thick of it J

Hey, no fun allowed! 

The first night Jeff and Susie spent in El Valle, we headed out to dinner at Zapote – my favorite local pizza joint with my roommate Diana, so she could practice her English y mis primos pueden practicar Español. We caught up on all the wild adventures they’d already had in the city, taught them some fun useful cultural phrases (Rakataka = ghetto, Ayy a la vida = oh my god, goodness gracious, good grief, etc) and demonstrated to Diana what a southern accent was. After dinner we headed to the supermarket to stock up on beers, since we would be leaving town early in the morning. 

Dining out with Diana

Early in the morning turned out to be closer to noon, since Edgardo had a fair amount of errands and things to take care of before we left town. This worked out fine for us though, since it gave us time to charge our phones/cameras, while enjoying some coffee and delicious pumpkin bread at my friend Erin’s Butterfly café. 

Polariod Selfie at Bodhi hostel

Once Edgardo showed up, we stocked up on more beer and ice (Always be prepared) and hit the road. On the drive Edgardo explained to us a bit more about the traditions behind Carnaval, our plans for the day, etc. We wound through steep mountain roads to get to Penonomé the “back way” – avoiding the traffic of the Inter-Americana Highway. 

 Leaving El Valle via the "scenic route"

When we arrived in Penonome – we went to the house of Edgardo’s buddy, Ricardo, where we would be setting up camp for the next two nights. Ricardo and his wife have very recently welcomed a brand new baby into the world, so in order to avoid disturbing their peace and quiet our plan was to stay in tents behind their house. I got very excited (admittedly more than necessary) when I saw that one of the tents Edgardo brought for us to sleep in was an old-school green Eureka tent, the same one I used to camp in once a month for many years while growing up as a Boy Scout. They don’t make these things anymore (inner old man speaking) – so this was a nostalgic bonus.

Happy Campers

Once we polished off a couple cold beers and got to know our hosts a bit, changed into our bathing suits, slathered on some sunscreen, and mentally prepared ourselves with yet another beer… it was time for Carnaval craziness. Ricardo gave us a lift right into the heart of the madness, our heavy cooler stocked with a wide variety of Panamanian brews riding behind us in the truck bed.

We made it!

We disembarked and made our way into the soaked streets, Jeff and I carrying the cooler. Once inside the gated-off area, the cooler was lifted above our heads so that we could squeeeeze through the masses to find ourselves in a decent spot. All the while yelling, drinking, laughing and carryin' on :D

Bienvenidos a Carnaval!

Those around us gave us an extra centimeter of space since I don’t think they trusted two gringos with a heavy cooler full of beer on their heads not to accidentally drop it, and all of its ice cold contents, on their heads. Luckily for everyone, this didn't happen. 

Squeezing through the crowd

Eventually we found a spot we liked, set down the cooler, and spent the rest of the afternoon getting sprayed by water, taking photos, dancing (on and off the cooler), and of course drinking. That’s what Carnaval is all about! 

The more, the merrier!

Thanks to Edgardo and Ricardo, we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a true Panamanian celebration. So Panamanian in fact, that we were the only gringos in the entire sea of people. This made me very happy, since I’d much rather surround myself with locals as opposed to other foreigners while traveling – helps ya really get a true taste of the native flavor.

Susie's view from on top of the Culecos! Can you spot the gringos? ;)

Why drink only one beer when you have two hands??

Ayy a la vida - whitest award: won!

The madness carried on until about 4 pm, at which point the water was shut off and everyone pretty much headed home for a while to eat dinner, change, and prepare for the night time festivities. So we did exactly that. Edgardo called Ricardo who kindly came to pick us up and took us back to his place, where we dried off, cleaned up, and told stories of the insanity we’d been a part of.

Jeff found a friend on our way home

Riding back, in the back

 Once in dry clothes, I helped Ricardo cook a typical Panamanian meal using some of the skills I've picked up since living here.  Later we all sat down around the table together as one big happy family, blessed the food, and dug in. During the meal prep, lots of baby photos were taken and smiles were abundant.

Proud mama with her beautiful baby

Full to the brim with a delicious meal, we relaxed (napped) and let our bodies digest the healthy mix of sun, water, beer and grub for a while. Once the sun set and the food comas wore off, we rallied, put on some presentable outfits, and headed back into town in Ricardo’s truck to celebrate some more. 

Siesta time

The night celebrations were centered around a massive parade, featuring extravagantly dressed beautiful Reinas (queens) that rode on massive intricately decorated floats, full marching bands, and all sorts of wild costumes. Even most of the kids got into costume!

Mini Minnie

It was certainly a sight to behold. We payed a small entrance fee to gain access to a huge open air disco club that had massive balconies overlooking the streets, where we were able to get great views of the parade below.

The balcony admittance was totally worth the extra bucks, since we avoided having to fight to see over anyone’s head to get a glimpse of the action and the bar was only a few feet away.  We spent the rest of the evening watching the parade, dancing in the disco, and taking ridiculous selfies.

Cheesin'

Much, much later in the evening, we took a taxi back to Ricardo’s place, climbed into our tents/hammocks and crashed. In what seemed like a blink of an eye – I woke up around 8 am to the sound of Ricardo shaking my tent and telling me “Ya las cerevezas estan frias!” (Beers are cold!) I grunted, laughed, and rolled over while telling him I'd be there a bit later. I managed to rest another half hour or so before the sun became positively unbearable and forced me out of the tent.

A "Dude, where's my car?" moment

When I got up, Ricardo was busy in the kitchen whipping up a batch of Hojaldras (yummy Panamanian fried dough breakfast treat) and a huge pan of scrambled eggs. Around 9:30 or so we all gathered around the breakfast table for a friendly family meal and more story sharing. 

Yummo!

Before long, it was time for Round 2! By noon we were back in Ricardo’s truck, heading back to the familiar chaos of geting sprayed down with hoses, dancing wildly, and emptying our cooler full of beers all over again. 

Round 2 Babay!

Annnnd, Weeeee're Baaaaack!

Our second day, Tuesday, was the final day of Carnaval – so there was a bit more going on than the day before. On top of one of the culecos there were about 7 or 8 chicas throwing T-shirts, sun glasses and even tiny airplane liquor bottles out into the crowd. Needless to say, we all scrambled to snag a free souvenir/drink! 

Who wants a T-shirt?! 

I moved through the ocean of jumping Panamanians to find myself just on the outer edge of the T-shirt girl’s throwing distance. I leaped up to snag a knotted blue T-shirt and then just for fun, caught a second one only a minute later. The folks around me weren't too happy when I snagged the second one and told me to get out of there. Don't blame em!

T-shirt tossing twins!

So I laughed and obeyed, bringing the goodies back to the cooler, where Edgardo and Jeff had also stashed the shirts they caught. Edgardo deviously discovered that a T-shirt soaked in ice-cold cooler water made for an excellent tool to unsuspectingly soak Susie, and eventually all of us haha.

Primo Photo!

Now for a rather hilarious testament to just how crazy Carnaval is - something that an outsider would otherwise never realize.  Among all these soaked masses of people, there are pretty much no (read: absolutely none) easily accessible public bathrooms. This is not your typical American event with long lines and rank port-a-potties (Bonnarooo!). So what to do when you’re drinking all day, tightly packed in a mob of people, and surrounded by flowing water?? Simple – Pee your pants! Hahaa!

Water, water everywhere... but nowhere to pee

But seriously. When nature called we shamelessly answered and then waved our arms madly begging to be rinsed off. After all, we were wearing bathing suits so with a quick rinse... it's all good.  Trying to find a side street or corner to pee in was not an option, since cops could potentially fine you for this, as Edgardo warned us. Not worth it! Once you get over the initial awkwardness of this, it was actually pretty nice to be able to freely relieve yourself. How often is that socially acceptable?! Gotta take advantage of times like these.   If you find yourself in a similar situation, I would definitely recommend it ;) 

Peeing your pants, it's the cool thing to do!

Unfortunately, this day was also marred with a serious bummer. At one point Jeff and I were on the hunt for more free T-shirts and sunglasses, when suddenly he grabbed me and thrust his wrist in my face. “Dude, where’s my GoPro?!” Panicked, I immediately began to scan the beer can littered street. Warned by everyone not to take anything of value into Carnaval – Jeff and Susie both insisted on bringing their waterproof cameras and wearing them tightly around their wrist in order to document the debauchery. 

Hooray for water-proof cameras!

Thankful that they made this choice, I left my camera at home, and with it any sense of responsibility. Sadly, at some point while jumping up and down, Jeff’s camera must have snapped off of his wristband. Although we told everyone around to help us look for it (and they did!) it never showed up. We suspect some crummy, good-for-nothing, person (que maldito!) found it and rapidly disappeared. Edgardo rushed to get the police involved, and people were frisked – but no camera. L Please take a moment to recognize the grief this caused.

A second of sadness ;-(

But, in true Jeff style – he chose to look on the bright-side of life and appreciated how many of the surrounding locals rushed to come to our aid. We hugged it out and reminded ourselves that it was just a camera – the important thing was that we were fine and still in the midst of an incredible celebration. So we turned our frowns upside-down, took lots more photos with Susie’s camera, and carried on! 

Love this guy, his attitude, and that #hat

All too soon, the final day of Culecos was over and we began to make our way out of the thick of it. While munching on some street foods and sitting on the side of the road waiting to head back to the house, we saw some of the souvenir girls leaving the scene and heading our way. Acting quickly, Susie and Jeff chatted up these good lookin' ladies and we got them to take a bunch of photos with us. Fun times.

Locos!

Back at Ricardo’s house, we had another delicious dinner and spent more time relaxing. Soon after dinner though, Ricardo and his wife had to head out of town – since he needed to be at work in a different city early the next morning. So they left Edgardo with a key, and we took liberty of the shower and hammock to rest and rinse off before repeating another night out to watch the final parade of Carnaval. 

Rinsing off with an ice-cold T-shirt

We got a late start that last night thanks to some naps lasting longer than others (ahem, Jeff) – but around 9 pm or so we started walking towards town and eventually got a taxi to stop and pick us up. We caught the tail end of the parade, but saw many different things than the night before – including some crazy dudes with huge angry artistic masks that looked like something out of the Temple of Doom, as well as a bunch of high-stepping horses. 

Couple of Queens

Deviant Duo

As the night aged, I couldn't help but feel a certain subtle sense of sadness among the people, myself included – everyone knew the whole thing was almost over. It would be another year before these streets see this much action again, and lives will quickly resume their normal laid-back pace. Polishing off a few final cervezas, we people-watched a while before taxiing back home to get some much needed rest. After all, I had to get back to work in the morning! 

Cerveza!

So that’s the (rather long, drawn-out) story of Carnaval! To really know what it’s all about, you simply gotta go. See y’all at Carnavales 2016! Until then, Peace OUT! :D

Portobelo

Hola Amigos! I went on a small spontaneous adventure recently, so thought I'd share the story and try to get back into the bloggin groove. I wanted to take advantage of having two days off in a row (something that doesn't happen too often) so I decided to leave El Valle for a little change in scenery. 

Hasta luego El Valle, you beautiful place. 

I've been wanting to go SCUBA diving since coming down here, especially since I haven't gone in way, way, wayyy too long (Almost 2 years!!). So I did some super last-minute googling to see if I could find somewhere decent to dive that wouldn't break the bank. It's not often that you have two oceans to choose from when deciding where to dive nearby! Luckily on Saturday morning before I left, I narrowed in on the perfect weekend destination - an old Caribbean seaport where there were plenty of dive spots, historic forts to explore, and a cheap pirate-themed hostel called Captain Jack's. Vamos a Portobelo! 

*Cue Pirates of the Caribbean theme song*

 Portobelo is located in Colon province, located just a couple hours northeast of Panama City. The journey involved 3 different bus rides. From El Valle to Panama City, (2.5 hours, $4.25) then on towards Colon (1.5 hours, $3.10) and finally from a small junction town just before Colon called Las Sabanitas where I caught a busted old retired school bus eastward to Portobelo (1.25 hours, $1.15). With transfer time included and stopping to pick up everybody and their new-born child, chicken, grandmother on the way, the whole journey took about 6 hours.  

Rough outline of the journey (took much longer than 3 hours) 

That last bus turned out to be one of the better parts of the trip. I got to where I thought I needed to wait for the next bus, but immediately figured I'd better check. Just as I was looking for who might be most helpful, I felt a tug on my Camelbak. I turned to see a kid in a Scout uniform! He was pointing to his own Camelbak proudly.

Regular water bottles are for sissies. 

This totally threw me off. I knew there were scouts in other countries, but I never expected to actually see them. Their troop of about 10 boys and girls were dressed in uniforms not too much different than the one I used to wear every Tuesday night (and many weekends) while growing up. I asked if they were scouts, and of course they were. I proudly told them that I was a Scout in the U.S. - but held back blabbing about how much scouting influenced my life and how happy I was to see other Scouts in a different part of the world. In my mind though, memories of scouting trips were flooding back.

Brothers in Scouting - more mature through the years?? 

I asked about the bus next, and they told me they were going to Portobelo as well - they'd show me the way! (A Scout is Helpful). Seconds later a brightly painted school bus pulled up, aka a Diablo Rojo (Red Devil) as they are affectionately called here. Supposedly these are old U.S. school buses that have failed inspection, and have passed on through to the other side where they can show their true colors...  

This is what a School bus drop-out looks like

This bus for Portobelo was probably one of the most crowded buses I have seen so far - when it arrived the aisle was totally crammed full of standing people. Even more people were waiting to get on. I figured I'd just wait for the next one. Instead, the scouts grabbed me and urged me to follow them (A Scout is Kind). They started getting on the bus from the back - through the emergency exit, (A Scout is Brave) which was very smart since that cut out the entire line. I followed suit... and we were off!

Up, Up y Arriba! 

While crammed together at the back of the bus, I chatted with their leader about my time in Scouts and told him I was an Eagle Scout, but mostly I listened intently to him tell me about the Scouting program down here (A Scout is Friendly). He told me about the different events he has taken their troop on recently, showed me photos from past Court of Honor ceremonies, etc. Since these months are the equivalent of summer break (kids are off school here from Dec - March) - they have been making lots of trips recently.

While chatting with him, I couldn't help but think about how incredibly thankful I am that I have been speaking Spanish on a daily basis since I arrived down here in October. By this point I am able to converse and comprehend much much more than I was able to a few months ago. Without this key to the culture, this interaction would have been very different.  

By the time he had gone through his entire phone gallery of scouting photos, the bus started to thin out a bit - and we found empty seats in different parts of the bus. He let me take the first seat that came open (A Scout is Courteous) and later went towards the front of the bus for another open seat.  The scouts got off the bus a bit before we got to town, with the intention of hiking in while picking up trash. Litter is a huge problem down here, so this was an awesome service. (A Scout is Clean) 

Arriving in Portobelo 

I waved goodbye to them through the window as the bus pulled off. They yelled back "Nos vemos por allá!" (See ya there!) I slid over to the window to get a better view. I'd read about 2 or 3 sentences about Portobelo in my Lonely Planet, so I knew I could expect to see some old forts there. This place was once the largest Spanish port in the Americas, used as a transport point for almost all of the gold that came out of South America during the 15th century. Sure enough, as we got closer I caught a glimpse of some of the former glory of this famous seaside city. 

Primary form of transportation

Once in town, I headed towards the local hostel first so I could drop off my backpack before heading back out to explore. Located at the end of a hilly side street just a two minute walk from the town center, this was a very unique spot. I headed upstairs to find a balcony full of all sorts of folks (gringos) eating lunch, day drinking and carrying on. Captain Jack was behind the bar slinging drinks, and seemed quite busy, yet relaxed. He fit the part of "Captain Jack" well - appearing on first glance to be a kind old seadog with graying, lengthy locks tied back in a ponytail. Seemed like a dude that rarely let anything ruffle his mellow. I ordered a Balboa from him when he turned my way, and took a moment to soak it all in.

Happiness is a cold beer

The beer tasted great after the long journey, an appropriate way to celebrate arriving at my destination. Then again, the journey is the destination! It's all about the experience, man.... ;-)

I eventually clued Captain Jack in to the fact that I planned to stay the night, and when time allowed he had one of his kitchen workers (who turned out to just be a traveler that hung around long enough to get put to work) show me a bunk below deck. It legitimately felt a bit like the belly of an old pirate ship down there, with clothes and bags strewn about the bunks, dim lights coming in through small portholes, and faint urine smells coming from the bathroom. It's all good, I was only planning to crash there for a night, not move in. So I dropped off my bag, slathered sunscreen on my neck, and headed out to explore the town. 

My first mission was to check in with the 2Oceans Dive shop that I would be diving with tomorrow. I wanted to meet the divemasters and figure out what time I needed to show up, how to pay, etc. This turned out to be a longer task than expected since I had to walk about 30 min down the road to get there. I would have taken a taxi, but none passed by me. The divemasters were very nice, and were pretty happy when they discovered I could speak Spanish. So I arranged to meet them at 7 am for breakfast in town, and then they'd drive me back to the shop. Sweet deal! After a bit more chatting, I happily told them chao and walked back to town. 

Proud to be a Scout!

Back in town, I walked past the plaza and saw the scouts from earlier hanging out there. I headed over to say Hola, and they got pretty excited when they saw me. We chatted a bit about what we'd been up to for the past couple hours, and they told me they'd just finished picking up all the trash in the plaza - proudly pointing to 3 full sacks of garbage. I congratulated them and asked for a photo with their troop to show my friends. The leader yelled out "Selfie! Selfie!" and gathered up all the kids. Thankfully we didn't actually take a "selfie" (not at all a selfie fan) since I asked a nearby gringa to take our photo. 

The kids gave me a hat to wear for the photo, and then after a couple calls of "Uno mas!" we let the poor woman off the hook. She seemed to find the whole spectacle quite entertaining. Then their leader had the kids split into patrol groups and give their respective Patrol yells. If this wasn't awesome enough, they then lined up as a whole troop and gave a series of cheers specifically to honor me. (A Scout is Cheerful) I don't think I could possibly have had a bigger smile on my face. (Scouts are Awesome!) 

They told me to keep the hat I wore for the photo, which instantly became one of my favorite souvenirs. I invited them to come to El Valle to see the frogs I work with, and all the kids were begging their leader to plan a trip. He seemed pretty keen on it, and we exchanged numbers before splitting ways - so hopefully I'll see these kids again on familiar turf. 

Searching for Pirates from the ancient watchtower 

With my heart full of joy and a smile from ear to ear, I wandered down to the seashore to explore some of the forts. Shot some cannon photos with my Nikon :-P, and then recalled that my Lonely Planet had mentioned an overlook in town where an old watchtower was located. Wanting to check it out while there was still daylight, I followed the road uphill until I spied a small set of stairs leading up to the grassy knoll overlooking the bay. I stood there peacefully, imagining the view that the Spanish soldiers who once stood here might have had while keeping guard over this precious treasure cove. 

Portobelic Panoramic

I love sitting in historic places, and simply letting my mind wander back in time. The fact that this place has so much history of pirate activity made it even better! From my vantage point, I spied a fort just to the right of the town center that I hadn't explored yet. So after a bit more mind-wandering and peaceful pinnacle pensiveness, I strolled back down the stairs to head over and check it out. 

Largest fort built in Portobelo 

Walking around, I could tell this fort was particularly larger than the other one I'd visited. Called Fuerte San Jerónimo, this was the largest fort ever built to protect the bay. Some of the 18 or so cannons here have been in the same place since the Spanish troops abandoned them in 1821, when Panama gained independence. 

An ancient outlook on life

In a corner of the fort, I saw two younger local guys chilling on one of the rocky and hardened coral ledges. In the friendliness mood of the tropics, I said "Que Sopa?" to them while passing by. To those that know Spanish - here this does not mean, "What soup?" but actually, "What's up?" Panamanians incorporate A LOT of English words into their slang. They hollered something back as I walked on that I didn't hear, so I turned to clarify. Next thing I know they were offering me a swig of rum while we chatted about our Carnaval plans. Another awesome interaction that would have in no way been possible without knowing Spanish. 

As an already nearly empty bottle dwindled, I moseyed on and sat in one of the old gun ports for a spell  - letting the inner warmth from the satisfaction of interacting with locals (and the rum) wash over me while watching the sunset. Life is good. 

Later on, back at Captain Jack's I had a fun evening sitting at the bar and exchanging stories with fellow travelers - a favorite past time of mine. Cold beer and good stories, is there really anything else you need?? This local in particular is chock full of folks with fascinating tales, since it tends to cater towards sailors, many of which seemed to be on a journey around the world. Lots of the sailors were just stopping in Portobelo for a bit before heading on through the Canal to continue their journeys in the Pacific. As much as I love a good yarn, I didn't stick around the bar too late since I had an underwater date the next day bright and early.

Local watering hole and hostel

The next morning, I left the hostel around 6:45 am to hunt down some breakfast before diving. I went to the local panderia (bakery) to meet the divemasters, but sadly the power was out. Unfortunately, this means they weren't able to cook their normal breakfast menu, or anything for that matter. Fortunately, they had started baking super early before the power went out, so there was some bread hot and fresh out the oven. I stuffed a couple slender bread loaves in my stomach for about a dollar, waiting for my ride to show. But they didn't come.

Fun fact: This ancient cannon was found off-shore in the same waters where I'd be diving

So I at 7:30 I headed on my way. My plan was to taxi to the dive shop, but when I talked to one of the local drivers - he told me there was an accident on the road and no cars could pass, since a telephone pole had fallen down over the road. This explained the power outage, and why my ride never showed up. So I walked again, and came upon quite a spectacle when I reached the scene of the accident. This is a perfect reason not to drink and drive!

Cuando manjea, no toma (Don't drink and drive!)

I'm pretty sure everyone was OK, thankfully. Luckily, this didn't affect my plans much at all, since the Dive boat only needed gas to run obviously, and there were plenty of tanks already filled. I rented some gear and set up my tank, and thankfully the process came back to me as if I had just gone diving yesterday.

We did 2 dives, both very relaxed reef dives, not too deep (~60 ft max), with plenty of tiny critters to see. Sadly I do not own a GoPro or a camera that can be taken to these depths, so I have no underwater photos to share. Take my word for it, it was pretty. Not the most amazing diving I've ever done, but any day spent diving is a damn good day. "Life is better, down where it's wetter!"

Amateur sketch of  wildlife seen while diving ;)

Some highlights included massive sponges, tiny blemies and other colorful juvenile fish, and some spiny lobsters. On the first dive, I lucikly managed to witness something truly fascinating.

Diving along, I spied a blue tang laying on it's side on the reef, breathing heavily but not moving. I thought, "Woah, am I watching a fish die?" I swam a bit closer to get a better look. As I got next to him, the fish suddenly wiggled violently and darted off, swimming far away. Hmm. Suddenly from a hole beneath where the fish was resting, a small spotted Moray eel poked his menacing face out - searching for who was responsible for his lost dinner. Felt slightly bad for the little guy, but was pretty stoked that I got to see him. Eels are some of my favorite creatures to spot while UNDA DA SEA.

While doing our safety decompression stop at the end of the dive, a little remora playfully swam around us, which was really neat. Soon enough it was time to surface. Between dives we cruised over to a nearby playa (beach) to wait out our required surface interval while muching on some snacks and drinking fresh fruit juice. It was nice to soak up some sun while the excess Nitrogen left our bodies.

Relaxing by a local beach between dives

For our second dive we went to a different local, where the visibility was remarkably better. The current was moving along, so we did a drift dive - which meant the boat would come find us at the end of the dive using our little signal tube, instead of us having to fight against the current to head back. Another fun, relaxing dive! Very few things are as enjoyable as breathing underwater, floating weightlessly over a reef watching fish and other creatures go about their daily lives. It's literally another world. If you aren't certified, you got to get on dat man.

Life is good, mon

We finished our dives and got back to the shop around 2 or so, enough time for me to have a late lunch/early dinner meal before making my way back to the city. Or so I thought. I left Portobelo around 4 and reversed my bus trip, but this time the journey between Las Sabanitas and Panama took much longer since I wasn't on an express bus. The bus made many, many stops - and I didn't get into the city until 7. By then, the last bus back to El Valle for the day had already left.

No worries! I booked a hostel in the city last minute, and called my boss to let her know I'd be an hour late to work in the morning. No hay problema! The hostel I stayed in was quite relaxing, perfect after quite a few hours on a cramped bus and a day filled with sun. The next morning I caught the 6:30 am bus back to El Valle. Greaaat Succceess!  [Borat accent]

Next post Preview : Partying with Primos !!

Stay tuned for tales for my most recent adventure - Cousins and CARNAVAL!! Until then, Peace Out!