Good news! We are leaving the isthmus! I think it is time to leave Panama City before it loses its luster completely. Fortunately, the rest of the crew agrees (although we are a democracy—we only need 3 out of 4).

 That is not to say that we haven’t had more good times here since I last blogged. There have been several noteworthy experiences. For example, Tiffany and I enjoyed trying to dance to the Latin beats on Calle Uruguay, although we found the doh (pause) di-doh-doh beat in every song a little monotonous. Also, Wes, Tiff, and I returned to the city a couple of times to explore, get some last minute provisions, and have some authentic food–the fresh Covina (sea bass) truly melts in your mouth! In the process, I’ve been getting a better grasp of Panamanian culture as well as the Spanish language (notwithstanding bouts of miscommunication with taxi drivers and street vendors).

Sea bass in garlic sauce with rice and vegetables

Residential area in Panama City

Did he say $1 for 1 grape?

  

 

 

 

We are leaving late tonight so that we will arrive in Las Perlas around sunrise tomorrow, giving us the day to explore the islands and the associated marine life. Personally, I can’t wait to be spending the hottest part of the day in the water, either snorkeling or scuba diving!

By the way, I think it is worth mentioning that since the salt life is pretty unkind to electronics, the shift keys on my  keyboard stopped working. This meant that I could no longer type with exclamation points, so naturally I had to find a new keyboard here in the city. Now I can sufficiently express my enthusiasm toward the wildlife that we will see in the Las Perlas, not to mention the Galapagos!!