It's almost time and this is not just another short travel to an interesting location, after all I estimate that over the years I have made about 30 trips from the US to Latin America, some short and some extended stays. This one has new challenges that will unravel in the next few weeks.
Central Florida is the kind of place that it is nice to live, but......, yes just but....., somehow there is something missing. Maybe I am looking at it the wrong way. I am a family person, sociable, with some education and certainly not wealthy. The whole picture in this place just does not fit an individual that is 59, pushing 60. How can that be with all the retirees that make this area their home?
Making this place your home is not the same as "living" somewhere. To live you must continuously feel challenged. What is that ingredient that ties HOME and TO LIVE. That one missing factor can only be the "sense of adventure". There will be challenges and adventure in Panama. I know that.
Why Panama? After all I could return to Peru, or Colombia, Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong. How about Vietnam? I always thought that if we were not fighting at that time, it would be a nice place to explore, to live. How about moving west in the US? No, not this time. Its Panama.
If I told that it's the waters it will not be quite right; Rick was "misinformed" in Casablanca and I do not want to mislead you here. My destination is not Panama City with all the busy city life, casinos and high rises, its not the pleasant environment of Bocas del Toro, or lower Chiriqui province or, the beautiful highlands around Boquete and Volcan. We will be in Santiago de Veraguas in Central Panama.
I have been to Panama before, and this blog will be bilingual with Spanish, You cant ignore that flavor of Panama. You see....., they may not quote you a price on a selling item right away, they may not be on time for a meeting (you just got there too early), 4 days off for carnival is just a holiday in February, or 2 Independence days in November from 2 different countries with all kind of parades, are nice and most unusual but its.....Panama. These are minor details.
I remember looking for a parking spot around the offices of "Cedulacion", an important government building, where is not uncommon to have people that "watch your car" while you conduct business, this guy is flagging me to a spot right in front that reads, " Director", the main man parking place. I so naive asked SE PUEDE? .....His answer was immediate....Oye papa aquí se puede todo......esto es Panama !!!. He made his quarter, with confidence.
The most determining factor is that I like these people. They live.
Sometimes hard, sometimes harder, but they live.
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