Day 14 - Palacio de Garzas and Cranky Cab Drivers

We woke early this morning, picked up Andres, and drove through Casco Viejo to the presidential palace, Palacio de las Garzas (Herons' Palace). A big thank you to Rafi's brother Luis for setting it all up for us! Before entering the palace we went through very tight security - he briefly peered into my purse and squeezed the bottom of it. No metal detectors or anything like we have in the states. Maybe the president wasn't there?

Here's some background for you.

• Construction of the building began in 1673, with the addition of a second floor in 1922 and the Official Presidential Residence, on the third floor, was added later.
• Previous presidents resided in the palace, but the current and previous two have not.
• The palace building has historically had many different occupants. It has been a school, a customs building and a bank before becoming the official residence of the President of the Republic of Panama.

Anyhow, we entered a marble courtyard with columns and a fountain where one of the herons was walking around. You could tell he was used to having fans. I think he was a he - just a gut feeling. Just like I have a gut feeling his name was Ernesto.

I enjoyed all the artwork, but this massive mola was my favorite. It is located in the Paz Salon, used for mediation meetings (hence its name). There were other oil paintings there, too, that supposedly were painted by students, as none of them were signed.

Up the stairs to the second floor we went. The floor is open to the courtyard below and features five statues representing the Five Virtues - Duty, Consistence, Work, Justice and Law. Also standing there was this guard. I couldn't help but think how boring his job must be standing there. Or heck, maybe he likes it. I know I couldn't do it. After thirty minutes I'd be asking for a stool to sit on. FYI, all the guards wear white shoe laces.

The next room, Salon Amarillo (Yellow Room), was... yellow. The chairs that lined the walls were all golden in color. At the end of the room was a chair covered in gold leaf. At the tops of the walls were many frescoes depicting Panama's history.

The large wooden doors of Salon Amarillo led us to a dining room. This room was ornate with carved wood. The paintings here showed the importance of the tamarind plant. It was mentioned (ahem, I won't say by whom) that this room was full of Panamanian porn. There were indeed naked women in just about every scene. I'm sure the men love this room.

That pretty much ends our tour. Wanna know what my favorite photo was? This one that proves I have a very good husband to hold my purse while I play photographer.

Oh, and nearby is Ruben Blades' house - the yellow one.

The rest of the afternoon wasn't nearly as mentionable. We cruised the mall. Mat ate treats. I got in trouble for Mateo gently putting a book on the floor in a bookstore (oh the horror). He rode various rides, and all four of us enjoyed the bumper cars (I'd forgotten they were so much fun!). Then Mateo had a meltdown. He was overtired. I think we all were. And then, Rafi tried and tried, we couldn't get a cab to take us home. They all refused. So we settled for a cab to take us to another mall where we waited for Rafi's dad to pick us up. Mateo scored a train ride, juice box, and chocolate cookie out of this deal. We all scored ice cream. His little dirt/tear stained face showed the wear of how I felt inside - done. But Rafi's dad came to our rescue, and home we went. And we took nice calming baths. And ate pizza. The end.

Day 13 - The mall, dinner, and Avatar.

This morning we went to Albrook Mall. Mateo was happy, as we used M&Ms and suckers to bribe him into staying in his stroller. Once again, we're parents of the year. After purchasing a few shirts and a scarf and riding the mall train (notice he's wearing his Thomas the Train shirt), we had lunch topped off with an ice cream cone.

I'm not sure what kind of Christmas message this is. We tried but couldn't come up with anything.

Once home I started on some laundry. Mat pretended to nap (we knew otherwise, as we could hear him quoting Finding Nemo), and after he awoke, I took a real nap while Rafi entertained him.

We want to thank Odelie for having us over for dinner. The chicken lasagna, Brie, and especially the Blue Nun wine was great! Her new apartment is very chic.

Rafi and I caught the late showing of Avatar at the VIP movie theater. Wow. That was an amazing film. Admittedly there is some stereotyping and some futuristic/scientific implausibilities/improbabilities, but the special effects are outstanding. It's a great film. Eye candy is everywhere. We plan to see it again at the IMAX theater in 3D once we get home to Austin.

So speaking of theaters, just as good as the movie was the VIP room. We sat in large leather reclinable seats, had fold out eating trays, wide leather arm rests, and had a server to take and deliver our order - chai tea latte, key lime pie, diet Coke, and M&Ms. Can't get better than that!

Day 12 - Panama Canal and FIFA.

I simply MUST stop going to bed at 3am. We drug ourselves out of bed this morning around 9:15 to find Mateo wide awake playing with his toys. Of course. But we got ourselves together anyway and schlepped over to pick up Andres in order to take a tour of the Panama Canal.

As we got out of the car, I told Mat I wanted to take his picture because he was so handsome. Then he kept holding up his hands like this. (Get it? HANDsome?)

Then I told him to put his hands down and got this. That kid is a riot.

After Rafi nearly killed us by getting the stroller stuck on the escalator (ha!), we ate lunch at Miraflores, a restaurant that is on the Miraflores lock of the canal. This website has a live feed of the lock, as well as other points of interest in Panama. While there we ate their buffet lunch (good cheesecake, by the way) and watched a ship come through the lock. Mateo liked the "boat" and the watermelon.

Then we made our way back downstairs to the museum. Things have really changed since four years ago when we took my mom to Miraflores. They have some nice exhibits and even a lock navigation simulator, which we all really liked. It really made you feel like you were moving.

As usual, Mateo was in love with the fish.

They had a computer available for you to view the work records of those who had worked on the canal. Of course there were no Cadle records (I'm guessing the Scottish weren't too involved?), but there was one Campana. Rafi was happy.

At the top viewing balcony we watched a very large cargo ship (likely had 4,500 cars on it, I overheard) come through the lock with very little clearance on either side. I would imagine guiding that ship through must be very stressful.

Just about that time Mateo started to melt down, but cookies and iPhone games helped - thanks, Old Macdonald iPhone app! Then we watched a cruise ship from the Netherlands come through the lock.

And then we hung out at home. And watched football and cartoons. Not at the same time.

For dinner we had Chinese food from Don Lee (the best!), and then Rafi and his friends had a FIFA tournament at the house. As I'm writing this it is about 8:30, so I think I'll take this opportunity to shower and read a book. More tomorrow!

Day 11 - A day of rest. Almost.

Waking up at 5:30 in the morning isn't so bad when you fall asleep by 8:30 the night before. We had no power, so we got dressed by the lights of our iPhones. All hail the mighty iPhone flashlight app! After a breakfast of bread, jam, and coffee, we rode the boat back to the airport.

Once at the airport, the guys noticed something that excited them. Can you spot it?

Here's a closeup.

The Yandup Island Lodge owners were there with their kids, so Rafi chatted them up some more while we awaited our planes. After boarding one plane and then immediately getting back off due to lack of seats, we waited a bit longer and boarded our last plane home. After dropping Andres off at his "vacation home," Rafi and I headed to Niko's. Mmmm, Niko's. It's kind of like a cafeteria really, but it's better than that. I had patacones, salchicha, and a Panamanian tortilla. (FYI, Panamanian tortillas are NOT like Mexican tortillas.) So yes, my breakfast was a perfect example of health food.

Mateo was very happy to see us. From what I hear, though, he really enjoyed staying with his abuelos while we were away. He enjoyed some rides at the mall, a new toy, and not one, but TWO Happy Meals from McDonald's. Lucky kiddo!

I took a long nap that afternoon while Rafi diligently (and successfully) recovered our corrupted/deleted photos from our San Blas trip. Good thing, too, or I might've thrown up. Can you imagine taking a near trip of a lifetime only to have your photos disappear? Whew!

That evening Rafi's parents took Mateo for another Happy Meal and to a park to play (once again making for a very happy kid). Rafi and I had dinner with our friends Percy and Karen. We had some delicious Italian food (cheese tortellini for me) and white sangrias, which were so good I've decided to try to make some for my monthly Girls' Night In once we get home to Austin. Over dinner I discovered that in Panama I could get a haircut for $5, and the works (shampoo, cut, conditioning, color/highlights, blow dry) for $25. I don't even want to say what I spend, though I do admit for Austin I think I pay a reasonable price for my wonderful and talented hair stylist. (It's wise not to tick off your hairdresser - Hi, Jodi!! Yes, we share the same name.) Anyway, I pay about ten times as much for my dog's haircut as a person's haircut here in Panama. Sheesh!

Once we returned home, I put Mateo to bed and stayed up WAY too late working on the blog and editing photos while Rafi played FIFA with his brother and a few friends. Some things never change.

Day 10 - Yandup, San Blas, Panama

After a mere 2.5 hours of shuteye, Rafi, our friend Andres, and I got ourselves to the airport, checked our bug spray (the only luggage we checked), and boarded the plane. It was a tiny island hopper, and that's exactly what we did. Sitting directly behind the pilots on the second leg of our flight did calm my anxiety a little bit, as the tail (where we sat on the first leg) whips you around a little more. Plus I figured if the pilot is at ease enough pre-flight to put his feet up, maybe I should relax, too. The second island on which we landed was our destination, Yandup.

After we arrived at the airport (yes, that first photo is the airport) , we took a boat ride to our living quarters.

We stayed at the Yandup Island Lodge. Only Kuna people can own land in this area, and this island was owned by a Kuna man and his Spanish wife. (Incidentally, they met in Spain when he was studying there, which is quite an accomplishment for a Kuna person.) The island of Yandup is tiny. I mean really tiny. Like a city block.

Once on the island, we ate a pancake breakfast (Rafi and I both had coffee!) and then went to our cabana to settle in. We all three packed in backpacks, so it didn't take long. The cabana itself was marvelous. Everything they make by hand. You can see the craftsmanship in everything from the bed to the joints in the walls. Even the bathroom, though minimal, is beautiful.

What were really useful were the hammocks on the porch. Later after lunch Andres and I enjoyed our naps in them. Rafi napped on the bed.

A couple of hours we were feeling refreshed, so we took the boat to another island to snorkel. A couple of leaky snorkels for me later, we were enjoying the ocean life down below. Lots of sea urchins. My favorite part was this little blue fish that circled around Rafi's bathing suit and waist like an orbiting planet. He stayed with him from beyond the reef all the way up to the beach where the water met the sand. Cute little guy, he was. I kick myself for not bringing an underwater camera. After a rock skipping competition (I lost), we returned back to Yandup with only mild snorkeling sunburns.

Lunch awaited us after we took quick showers. What a lunch it was! And I mean that in a good way. We had fish soup (delicious), fried pargo, potatoes, and salad. Now I'm not a huge fan of seeing a face on my plate, and at times I did cover the teeth up with a napkin, but that fish was good. Very tasty and not fishy at all.

After our previously mentioned naps (Rafi napped inside on the bed), we felt refreshed and ready to go on our second outing. The scheduled tour was of the Kuna cemetery, but we didn't have the required hiking boots and jeans (where was that memo?), so we got a special tour of the community where they actually live. From the boat it looks like a tiny island cram packed with palm leaf covered huts. The homes are side by side along most of the edges of the island with the walkways on the inside. Some Kuna were in their kayukos fishing or traveling to different islands.

Wow. It was so informative and amazing. I am now really glad we got to see the real thing up close and personal. I did take a few photos, but as we were walking through the town (which again, is in total the size of a city block), it dawned on me that this was very personal. We were seeing their homes, their children, their personal moments. Kiddos ran playing in the streets - sometimes sans clothing. Moms breastfed their children. A family held a birthday party. The albino kiddo that tried to sell me a wind chime had lots of personality. He had a baby brother, too. As it turns out, albinism has high incidence among the Kuna, and those with the condition are considered special. Anyway, it just didn't seem right to take photos. So I didn't.

Our guide Uti (Oo-tee) was very kind and patient. He showed us their churches, their "congress" house (the three heads laid in hammocks while a man stood and plead his case for his issue), their ways of life. Some Kuna women sold their hand stitched molas on their main street. One woman really captured my interest. Because Spanish is their second language (their first being Dulegaya), her Spanish was very precise and slow. I understood her perfectly, and somehow she understood my Spanish perfectly. I regret not asking her name. From her I purchased a mola headband, and down the road I got a new mola for our collection and a "wini" (Win-ny). It's a long, single string of beads that is carefully tied tightly around the wrists or ankles. I got a small one, but as you can see they were long, intricate ones.

This little guy scavenged for spare bits of coconuts. I witnessed one man with a small dog like this one on a leash as they went out with machetes to the forest, so I'm under the impression they don't see them as a hindrance. Since they scrounge for their food, they may help to keep the community clean.

That said, I'm not sure what's going on with this.

The Kuna are a very self-sufficient people. They sleep in self-made hammocks. They live off the land, fishing and gathering for their food. Thanks to the Panamanian government, they have small solar panels to help them with their electricity needs, as well as radios. When I first saw the pile of trash (plastics, aluminum, food bags, etc.) all along a shoreline I was saddened. But then Uti explained that that's how they build up the island. In fact, the opposite shoreline that now had a solid row of huts was their old landfill. They are now adding their refuse to the new site in order to build the island outward.

And then we saw the oddest sight. I never in a million years would have expected to see it - Mormons. In white shirts and black pants. Going hut to hut. Doing the same thing they do here in the US. As we were walking they spoke to our guide (interestingly never to us), so as we walked back to the boat we asked Uti if he was converted. He politely laughed, smiled, and said "No."

Our ride back "home" for dinner was more quiet. The tour had given us lots to think about. Dinner, however, was different. We played dominoes while we ate and after. Rafi won most of the games. Boo. I hate to lose. Our dinner was a pasta/coleslaw salad, yucca, lagostine (I traded mine with the guys for more yucca), and green beans. Quickly our energy level went downhill, so we drug ourselves back to our cabana and were in bed by 8:00. The lights out by 8:30, we slept to the sounds of ocean waves crashing a mere 30 feet away. (I shouldn't mention that these same crashing wave sounds might've been what made all of us potty two times each during the night, but I must for the sake of full disclosure.)

They have such beautiful sunsets.

And beautiful other things, as well.

Day 9 - Christmas Day.

Christmas morning didn't start until 10am for us, as we were all recovering from the previous night's festivities. Mateo opened his Santa gifts (toy fishing set, some Thomas trains, books, etc.) after sitting and eyeing the gifts patiently.

We had a visitor that morning - this guy.

After getting dressed we had a wonderful buffet lunch (dare I say gourmet?) at a hotel with Rafi's uncle. Shamefully, this is the best photo we got of us at lunch.

During Mat's nap I made some banana pudding, and that evening all of Rafi's friends came over with their families. We ate ham sandwiches con fritas that Tita (Rafi's mom) made. The kids all played well together. Mateo was enamored with the older boys. They were really good with him.

And then there was this face. Adorable.

Some things never change. This photo could've been taken in Austin.

After everyone had gone home, Rafi and I stayed up until past 2am only to get up 2.5 hours later for our trip to San Blas. More on that in the next post!

Day 8 - Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve started off nice and slow but got busier as the day went on. Until about 3pm we had no water, so that put showering and all that good stuff on hold. Basically we lazed the day away and played with Mateo. Well, I did. Rafi was very busy with his dad delivering gifts to friends.

On a funny note, Mateo got into some cookies that Rafi had purchased. With Rafi there I asked Mateo if he had asked Daddy if he could have one of his cookies. Mateo's response: "Sure I can!" Man, this kid is slick!

Rafi's good childhood friend Yiyo and his wife Yariela came by for a visit with their little girl. I really think their daughter Camila has to be one of THE cutest babies I've ever seen. And her personality is so bold. She was curious about everything, wasn't shy at all, grinned with all four teeth showing, and showed us how strong she was by carrying this chair around. Can you believe she's only 14 months old?

Christmas Eve was spent at Rafi's brother's house. After taking turns saying a group prayer (I'm hoping my American accent didn't sound too funny as I read my piece), we ate our Christmas meal. Two interesting items on the menu were Panamanian tamales and Venezuelan pan de jamon. We drank wine and the kids danced to music (I'm bummed I didn't get a photo of the break dancing) and played with flashy starfish necklaces and the Wii.

The highlight of the night was a visit from Santa Claus! He was a very good Santa; he spoke Spanish, English, and French. He was very lively as he passed out gifts to everyone. Even Molly the dog got a gift from Santa! Mateo was not, however, thrilled about him at all. He clung to me like a baby monkey. He did muster up the courage to open his gift, though.

Speaking of gifts, thank you to everyone for all the many wonderful gifts that were given to Mateo, Rafi, and myself, especially the cinnamon candle holder that Maria Sofia, Nicole, and Luis Raul made for us. Everyone was much too generous! Mateo was in love with his new barn and animals, Luis Raul seemed to like his new watch and Spider-Man stuff, Maria Sofia was into her fancy microphone, and Nicole.... Well, let's just say Nicole is in luuuuuv with the Jonas Brothers. And because of this I now know all of their names. :)

Also cute was how attentive Maria Sofia was toward Mateo. She'll make a great baby sitter someday.

Now this was a testament to Luis Raul's patience. Mateo kept hitting him up for Cheetos. Initially it was innocent enough with a please and a thank you, but it quickly went south with the elimination of spoken words and just the hand motion for "gimme." Luis Raul was very kind to oblige Mateo's requests.

Midnight struck and so did the fireworks. We watched them from a balcony upstairs. Mateo had a love-hate relationship with them. He loved them on the 4th of July, but these were much closer and louder. He liked watching them but didn't like the loud noises, so we watched at times from the safety of the bedroom.

Around 1:30 we got our tired selves into the car and came home. Mateo was such a trooper to stay awake so late (though he did crawl into their dog's bed a few times and announce he was tired and was "schweeping"). Everyone went to bed exhausted but happy.

Day 7 - Goodbye, DeCameron,

The wee early morning hours of Day 7 weren't so great. Mateo woke up every few hours saying he was "scared of sumping," so I ended up struggling to sleep next to him with knees and feet in my back. Add to that a queasy stomach (I know what you're thinking, but I only had one margarita) and a dream about Mike Tyson giving everyone the Vulcan grip (don't ask, it's nuts), and it all added up to miserable sleep. For me. Everyone else seemed great in the morning. Mateo enjoyed his muffin breakfast.

So guess where we went after that? To swim, of course! Again. Well, I only half swam. I chose to bask in the heat rays again for a while. Mateo practiced his whale calls a la Dori on Finding Nemo, and Rafi let him ride on his back in the water.

It was difficult, but we did manage to get Mateo out of the pool and back up to the room. There we showered and rested while Rafi went to check us out. We ate our last DeCameron lunch and ran to the car in the rain. So much for our earlier baths. The ride home was nice and quiet. Mateo slept a good portion. We stopped at Quesos Chela again for empanadas, and enjoyed the scenery for the rest of our journey home.

This is a typical bus in Panama. Actually, they used to have more and larger artwork, but Rafi tells me that the city has mandated they all be painted in a more similar fashion. This one portrays the Virgin Mary, but in the old days it was fun to see a (slightly off) portrait of Madonna (as in "Material Girl") painted on the back.

I mentioned before the Centennial Bridge. On the way back I managed to get what I think are some pretty neat shots of the cables.

Once home I began a gift wrapping marathon. This year I actually brought gift wrap from home, and I'm so glad I did. It eliminated my usual last minute "I need wrapping paper" panic. Mateo played around the house with his abuelos and Rafi.

And then.... then came the WORST bath we ever gave him. Here in Panama it's not very common to have a bathtub, especially in older homes. So here we use a kiddie pool in the shower. Well, Mateo was NOT having it. He screamed bloody murder the entire time. We tried to be gentle, but I finally reached my limit and got in the shower (fully clothed) with him. I might've ended up a mess (no, no pictures of this one, thanks), but at least it got the job done. As suspected, he was just over tired, and fell asleep almost immediately after getting in bed.

And then Rafi's and my work begun. My only job is to make banana pudding for the dinner on Christmas night, so I needed to get the ingredients. The grocery stores were PACKED. And apparently you can't get plain vanilla pudding mix just anywhere. Three stores later (which includes a quick run to Arrocha again for a few small items), our mission was accomplished.

By the time we got home my feet and back were a mess. I didn't mention it earlier, but either Rafi or I had to carry Mateo a majority of the time at DeCameron, which my back didn't like. Crawling into bed felt nice.

Day 6 - "I wanna da ocean."

I woke up to Mateo's smiling face this morning saying "I wanna da ocean." We were happy to oblige! After a breakfast of watermelon and cereal, we walked down to the beach.

The little boy who talked about the ocean all morning wasn't too confident when he saw the waves roll onto the sand. So we thought we'd show him seashells first to warm him up. BIG mistake. Apparently he is terrified of seashells! Who ever heard of such a thing? When we picked one up to show him they were pretty, the tears began. Yikes. So we returned our focus to the ocean again.

As we walked closer to the water Mateo stopped short and said, "It's kinda yucky." But with Mommy's coaxing he soon let the water rise up to meet his feet. This he loved, thank goodness. As we tried to keep our balance while our feet sunk into the sand each time the water receded, Mateo said it was like "a skateboard." Such a smart one, he is.

The now very brave Mateo said, "Deeper!" So deeper we went. He licked his lips and tasted the salty water. He made a funny face (I braced for the worst), and he said "It's kinda yummy!" Ha! His little floaty vest/suit was perfect for the occasion. A BIG thanks to our friend Miles for letting us borrow it.

After we tired of the ocean, we headed to the pool again. Later we dried off for a lunch that finished with ice cream and cookies. This is our view from our lunching spot.

Back in our room we had some down time. Mat quite enjoyed the telephone. "The phone is ringing! Hello? Where are you? Okay. Bye." Hmm... Perhaps someone has been listening to me talk to Rafi at dinner time? Rafi and I laid down to "fake nap" hoping it would entice him to lay down, but we both fell asleep and ended up having a real nap. Oops! Eventually Mat must have laid down next to me, as he was completely out when I woke up - THREE hours later. Guess we were more tired than we thought.

And off we went to swim again! It's becoming evident that Mateo is starting to really use his imagination. He was pretending his hands were fish, dolphins, octopus, jelly fish, and starfish. (He may have learned to do this at school, for his class name is the "Starfish Class.") Rafi pretended to be a whale and practiced Hook 'Em signs with him in the pool as I sunned myself. I know it's bad, but it feels so good!

Later as we walked to dinner Rafi noticed this. Do you see it? A little hand print sunburned into my skin. I'm guessing it was from when we were in the ocean. Guess I didn't do a good job with the sunscreen.

Mateo said these were not in fact crocodiles but spiders on the wall of the restaurant.

Dinner was DIVINE! So good we had to take photos. My dish, top left, was a blue cheese fettuccini with the tenderest of beef medallions. At the top right is Mateo's plate of tandoori baked chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes and eggplant. Rafi's dish was the fish of the day (he didn't know what it was) with steamed vegetables in a sweet glaze. I don't claim to be a big lover of seafood, but even I thought his fish was really good.

Mateo, of course, just ate bread. Sigh... And because he just ate bread, he ended up with a Cheeto lips later on. This is our submission for a parents of the year award for 2009.

We tried to watch the UT basketball game in our room, but it wasn't on ESPN here. So we went down to watch the kids' show already in progress.

At nine o'clock we put Mateo to bed, and we had a repeat of the night previous - margarita and diet Coke on the balcony with iPhone games. We really regretting having not brought a deck of cards, but the game "Unblock Me" became good fodder for competition. And that was the end of day 6!

Day 5 - "I want to schwim."

The morning of Day 5 brought more packing, but this time for a mini-vacation at the DeCameron Resort. That morning also brought a lot of "I want to schwim" from Mateo. Perhaps we prepared him a little too much and too early? This yearning to "schwim" also led to "I wanna get inna car." And so we did. As it turns out, we may have a little traveler on our hands. All of our car and plane rides have been relatively a breeze. Of course I would be remiss to not mention that delicious bribery, er, snacks might have been involved.

Good music helps, too.

When driving in Panama, the most assertive and aggressive usually wins. And don't be surprised to see someone from the right-most lane cross over two other lanes to make a left turn. Oh, and get used to hearing horns honking. They're a little horn happy over here. While on our way I was taking photos like a tourist with the blog in mind and noticed, to Rafi's driving benefit, that when I had my camera up, other drivers let us into the traffic flow. Score! Guess they figured we didn't know what we were doing. There are many very nice cars here just like at home, but cars like this blue one aren't exactly out of place either due to harsh road conditions, tropical climate, and abundance of fender benders.

Here are some en route photos. First up is the Estadio Nacional de Rod Carew. It's a baseball stadium named after a Hall of Fame Panamanian-American player, Rod Carew.

The Centennial Bridge spans across the Panama Canal. Construction on this bridge finished a few years ago. I got to witness it being built over a period of time. It's really neat because the cables all line up, so it seems really thin; it's quite a marvel of engineering.

Billboards are everywhere, and they're right up close to you on the road. Most of them seem to advertise cell phone service or show bikini clad women enticing you with beach front real estate or a resort stay.

Every now and then there is a walkway that crosses the busy highway. Keep in mind that a highway in Panama is a bit different than a highway in the US. The roads are fairly rough and pockmarked with potholes, so you can't drive too fast (though some do anyway). Still, they are fairly busy, so using this cross walk would be the safest way to go, yet I have never seen anyone actually use one. I always see people (and kids) just sprint across from one side to the median to the other side.

We call these little guys on the power lines "penguins." Don't you think they look like penguins?

Rafi's favorite sign and tree.

This is Quesos Chela. You MUST stop here when driving to the interior. You really must. The empanadas de queso are made with their own pressed cheese that is superb. Rafi enjoys the chicha de avena - a milky oatmeal drink. (I usually pass on the chicha de avena, as I don't even like pulp in my orange juice.) There are usually kids out front selling anything from food items to lottery tickets. This one posed for a photo.

On the way to Farallon (the town where DeCameron resides), we stopped by to see some friends at their beach house at Playa Coronado (which has a McDonalds for those who have a Big Mac attack). Mateo wishes to thank the always nice Fistoniches for the delicious cookies! They did the trick, as he fell asleep immediately after we left.

Soon enough we arrived at the resort. Rafi and I have been here at least 4 or 5 times, and Mateo twice, so we kind of knew the drill already. After we checked in, we immediately got ready to go "schwim." We surprised Mateo with a Finding Nemo kickboard, which he loved. He also demonstrated to us his whale impression. We didn't take photos of the actual swimming, as we decided to just enjoy the moment. Mateo got right in, though, with no hesitation. I enjoyed a pina colada, too.

Dinner time! After drying off and getting dressed, we gorged ourselves at the buffet. Mateo most enjoyed the watermelon, which he seeded (de-seeded?) himself. He made a smile out of it but didn't notice the dot of watermelon that landed on his nose. Who were we to tell him about it? Much better to just take a picture.

We let our food digest a bit and then headed off to see the kids' show, which disappointingly turned out to be a showing of Madagascar the movie. The adult show started after that, and we stayed for just a little bit, as it was already late. Mateo LOVED the dancing.

After putting Mateo to bed, Rafi brought up drinks (margarita and diet Coke), and we sat on the patio playing (iPhone) games. Soon enough our eyelids were heavy, and the bed called our names.

Day 4 - Clothing trends and Mateo tidbits.

Not too much happened today. Rafi and I ran a few errands while Mateo stayed and played with his abuelos and then again later when he was napping. Rafi is a very skilled driver here, which is good because you need to be. I know I could do it, but I'd be a bit slower and more methodical with my driving decisions.

We met a new friend today. Rafi named her Boobina. I'm not sure why she's armless. Or why she wears so many hats. Or why her bangs come down to her nose. Looks like she was a bit cold.

Which leads me to another topic - women's clothing here in Panama. The women here dress very nicely in general. Having your hair and nails done is the norm. And bodies like "botellas de Coca Cola" are sought after (tiny waists, curvy busts and booties). However, I've noticed over the last 7 or 8 years that the fashions have slowly become a little more casual. My first visit here, every woman wore heels. I felt different because, me being on vacation, I didn't want to wear heels. But just the other day I saw a woman in sneakers and and another Crocs of all things. Even I don't wear Crocs. (Yes, yes, I hear they are miracle shoes, but they feel/look like bulbous cartoon shoes when I try them on.) Also, you don't see anyone wearing shorts. I've been told it's carry over from the Noriega days when wearing shorts in public was prohibited. If you wear shorts (and are gringa like me), you are most assuredly a tourist. Therefore, I only wear shorts at the beach or around the house; not in public. The women's clothing here also seems to be a *smidge* looser than in previous years; but still it's very common to see very tight fashions on the younger crowd. That fashion trend I can not hang with for a few reasons (one of them of course NOT being a mommy belly. Obviously. Because I'm very svelte. Really. Like a runway model.). I digress...

Even with these slight changes in trends, I still find it difficult to purchase clothing here. The jeans are much too tight for my taste (and my thighs), and I hate having to buy an extra large (or bigger) for, what is to me, a comfortable fit. That said, it's still worth trying, as you can find great deals. Just today we bought Mateo an entire outfit (Thomas the Train shirt and matching shorts) for $3.99. Now, keep in mind that you might be buying a "Tommy Hilfinger" or a "Ralf Lauren." I plan to go back to Saks (most assuredly NOT 5th Avenue) next week to do some serious bargain hunting. I saw some "7 All For Mankind" (as opposed to "7 For All Mankind) jeans there that might warrant a second look ($5.99!).

As for the men, they also dress nicely. Their hair is always combed and in place. They wear ironed shirts and nice pants. I notice more cologne being worn here, too. Really we could all follow the people of Panama's example when it comes to our dress. Does anyone really need to wear socks with their sandals and a fanny pack with cargo shorts? And yet one sees it at Six Flags all the time.

Moving on to a different kind of shopping, I really like shopping at Arrocha. It's a pharmacy that has about anything else you could need - toys, books, home decor, makeup, handbags, food items, electronic items, etc. Since my very first visit there years ago it's been a tradition for me to purchase notebooks. It feeds my list making addiction.

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And now for some Mateo tidbits.

Mateo is really into Finding Nemo. REALLY into it. This evening he was playing with a pair of dice. One was Nemo. The other one, Nemo's father, was strongly telling the Nemo die "Do NOT touch that button!" (FYI, in the movie the kid fishes mistakenly call a boat a "butt," which Mateo somehow interpreted to be button - probably because we use the word "hiney" instead.) Very cute. He'll be uber excited tomorrow when we give him his new Nemo kickboard at the beach.

He's also into the ornaments on the Christmas tree. He pulls a little blue chair right up to the tree and sits in it, pondering the beauty of the tree. He really likes this heart.

Day 3 - Friends, Cats, and Darkness.

This morning one of Rafi's childhood friends stopped by. Rafi missed it because he was out participating in his biennial golf game with his brother.

This is Jose.

These are Jose's daughters.

Mateo was a little shy around them at first. In fact, he was giving sweet Sofia the stink-eye in case she had any ideas about sitting in his precious blue chair.

He got over it, and they happily played with trains together.

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Around 5:00 that evening, Rafi, his brother Luis and his wife Monica, and I set out to see Cats. It was pretty neat, though I have to be honest and acknowledge that it felt somewhat old in music style. Hello, synthesizers! And to be even more candid, I wasn't so much feeling the plot, or lack thereof. I kept waiting for something big and momentous to happen, but it never did. That said, the dancing and singing was great. The costumes were good, too. I kept thinking about what awesome Halloween costumes they'd make.

After Cats we went to what I can best describe as a Spanish pub. We enjoyed some tapas (Manchego cheese, bread, Serrano ham, tortilla espanola, and paella) and drinks (cranberry juice with vodka for me, Diet Coke for Rafi). Delish!

And then we came home to... (dun dun duuuunnnnn)
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Darkness! The electricity was off. Rafi's parents generously were watching all four grandkids, and their task was not made easier by electricity problems. A few sweaty hours later (remember, we need air conditioning here) everything was good to go.

Thanks, Tita and Luis for watching the kids, and thanks to Luis and Monica for enjoying a night out with us!

Day 2 - Lasagna Dinner.

Rafi's brother Luis and his wife Monica invited us over for some homemade lasagna. Who doesn't like lasagna? Well, my kid, but then again he's weird like that. Luis did an excellent job; I had seconds, maybe thirds, but I'm blocking that out of my memory. And on that same note, I'm pretty sure I only had one teensy tiny piece of cake, too.
The kids (Nicole, Maria Sofia, Luis Raul) played dress up with Rafi.

And chased each other around and around.

I fanned myself and looked pretty. (Yes, Mom, I know I needed lipstick.)

Some people indulged in some PDA. They shall remain nameless. ;)

Day 2 - Driving around town.

We didn't do too much today, so I thought it might be fun to take photos from the car as we tagged along with Rafi and his dad while they ran some errands.

A lower class apartment, and a trash nook that is common place. I think they pick up the trash either every day or every other day.

Some random city sights - an eatery, a sign, motorcyclist, and street peddlers. They sell anything from cell phone minutes to CDs to fresh fruits.

These are my two favorite photos. First, an advertising FAIL.

Second, can you spot something different in this photo? I still can't believe I even noticed it.

Day 2 - Our digs.

Though this is not my first trip (or second... or third, etc.) to Panama, you the reader, might not have visited before. So with that in mind, I'm trying to view this trip through a fresh pair of eyes, so you can see what I see.

These are some select photos of our digs. We are staying with Rafi's parents, who live in El Dorado, a neighborhood in Panama City. They recently completed some remodeling on their house, so it's good for us to take new photos.

This is the front of the house.

This is our bedroom, obviously already slept in. It's like a hotel in there - nice linens, basket full of goodies, television (something we don't have in our bedroom at home). I didn't photograph Mateo's room, but he is sleeping in their office on a fold-out couch. He loves it!

Next, let's visit the living room. Attached to it is the dining room, which leads you out to the patio. The kitchen (not pictured) is on the left.)

Once you are on the patio, there are more or less three sections. The first section is where the awesome bar is. Oh, there's a Christmas tree, too. (heh heh)

As you walk forward there is a sitting area with a fountain on the right. To the left is a table where we take our breakfast and lunches.

The yard holds a small basketball court and a long, tiled stairway up into "the jungle," as Mateo calls it. Once you walk up the stairs to said jungle, to your right is a table with chairs tucked away from the world down below.

This is the view from the jungle downward.

And this is Mateo doing what he's enjoyed most this day - playing with his "fishing rod" and climbing the stairs to visit the jungle.

Usually Linda the parrot is outside in a cage, but her cage is being painted. So for today, she is hanging out in the laundry room. She whistles, kisses, and says "Hola." She'll shake your finger with her foot, too. Her favorite food is pancakes.

Day 1 - The trip.

As is usual for us, Rafi and I stayed up very late the night before we left to finish packing. Six o'clock came early that morning. We said long, sad goodbyes to our fur babies (they have a pet sitter who comes twice a day), and off we went in the rain to the airport.

Somehow we managed to get a kid in a stroller, one car seat, two carry-ons, and four suitcases unloaded and checked in. The first flight from Austin to Dallas was a breeze. Mateo really enjoyed his donut.The second flight from Dallas to Miami was pretty good, too. He entertained himself by singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star for most of our neighbors. They laughed, so I'm guessing it didn't annoy them too much. He also read the plane's emergency manual and played with his lacing cards.Between the second flight and the third we began to see signs of exhaustion. He'd been up eight hours with no nap. He was acting a little wacky, running around the airport. Several hours later we landed in Panama. And to our frustration, there we stayed. On the plane. For another 45 minutes. With Mateo wearing a full diaper. And Mommy carrying a full bladder. And we sat. Not moving. Forever. Or so it felt.

But we did, obviously, make it off. Mateo tried to escape from the bathroom while I was, ahem, pottying, which nearly gave me a heart attack. I was thinking to myself, "so this is how it happens. Mom goes potty, kid gets lost." And obviously that turned out okay, too, or I wouldn't be sitting here writing this.

After meeting all of Rafi's family (the kids LOVED Mateo, their new play thing), we made it to the house where some refreshing champagne (Diet Coke for Rafi) and cheese, meats, and crackers awaited our arrival. Bedtime was welcomed. Poor Mateo handled the day relatively well given that he'd been awake for about 17 hours without a nap. I can say the same for Rafi and me, too!

Catch ya on the flip side!

So this will be my last post for the year while we're still in the states, for on Thursday we're off to Panama for a while. I refer to it as our winter home (as short as winters are in Austin). There we'll be catching some rays, eating juicy pineapples, swimming in the ocean(s), and drinking some obnoxious umbrella drinks. Okay, so maybe not every day, but at least for a couple of days!

So Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and Happy Hannukah to all our friends and family! May the New Year bring you lots of health, adventure, and joy!

Cadle Christmas

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family. My parents came with their two dogs, and we opened gifts and ate... and ate... and ate. (I'm still eating the leftovers.) Ham is so delicious!

Mateo was very excited about his Handy Manny workbench. We had to build it immediately after it was opened. Thanks to Mima and Papa for gifting it to him! And thanks for Rafi's and my gifts, as well. I think I'm set for kitchen gadgets - can't wait to use the garlic slicer. Rafi's new iPod alarm clock was MUCH nicer to wake up to compared to his old one.

Smith Christmas

An evening spent with friends to celebrate Christmas is always nice. Mateo was in HEAVEN with his official Thomas the Train tent and trains (Percy and Gordan).

Connor was likely more interested in the paper.And Rafi was all snuggly in his University of Texas Snuggie.Thanks, Tina and Greg, for all our goodies! And a special thanks to Tina for teaching me how to crochet. That was the best gift ever!

Rafi with hair.

This is my niece Nicole, aka "Rafi with hair." She is Rafi's brother's oldest daughter. She is also Rafi's goddaughter. Rafi thinks she hung the moon, and I think she thinks the same of him. :-) And now she's graduated 6th grade. Amazing. Time really does fly, as they say. Felicitaciones a Nicole!

Snow in Austin.

Well, we had quite a blizzard today in Austin. I worried I might have to break out the snow shovel, but then again I got excited about the prospect of snowboarding. Oh, who am I kidding. We got very light flurries for all of ten minutes. Then the sun was out bright and shining.

Mateo was very excited. And no, he's not wearing a hat, but I was just happy he would wear his coat. Usually this is a battle.

A milk mustache goes well with snowflakes, don't you think?