First Week in Panama Part 2

Luis and I have been in Panama for a week as of today, so I have to hurry and write as much as I can, so that I will be able to write about experiences from week 2 as well! Our trip to David from Panama City was very exciting. The trip took 6 hours and we took a long winding road through the countryside. The landscape was varied and we passed through several small towns along the way. Upon entering the Chiriqui region everything that appeared green became to my surprise even greener! To say that the hills were covered in green would definitely be an understatement. The hills were crammed with plants fighting for every possible space. Vines covered areas that other plants could not access. The soundtrack for the drive consisted of Bob Dylan, U2, Paul Simon, and Madonna. By the end of the 6 hour trip we were all singing along. Luis mother loves Paul Simon and in the car she danced and slapped her leg to the rhythm while singing along. I felt relieved to know that my little eccentricities such as singing and dancing whenever possible would have a comfortable home for one month. Luis father loves Bob Dylan and even though he doesn't know what all the words mean he feels a connection to it. Luis says it reminds him of some traditional Panamanian music. Luis also says he tears up when he hears Billy Joel's song ¨Piano Man.¨
There were some sad things to see on the side of the road as well. Some very poor people live in small villages along the road. A lady in brightly colored native dress carried an impossible amount of children on her body and held the hands of others as she walked along the side of the road. Perhaps she was going to visit a friend or her mother and needed to bring the children with her. We saw teenage students walking home from school in packs in their school uniforms. We saw kids playing outside or working. A young man chopping at the branches of tree. Small one story houses with little gates holding horses and chickens. Chickens clucked along beside the road and it was not unusual to see a lone horse galloping down the road seemingly unaccompanied by a human. As it got darker the headlights illuminated a startling image of a little boy of perhaps 6 or 7 years sitting close to the road in a blue t shirt playing in the dirt. I wonder where his mother was and if it was dangerous for him to play by himself near the road at such a strange time of day.
When we arrived at Luis house in David we were all very glad to be home including Luis mother and father who had made the same 6 hour trip in the opposite direction the day before to come pick us up in Panama City. A comfortable and luxurious bedroom was set up for us to sleep in with our own private blue bathroom. The night was perfumed with the open air smell of flowers and plants. Luis and I were both struck with the extreme contrast of Montreal's cold grey city slush and the warm slow ease of air on our skin. We slept better in the bed at home than we had at the hotel where I had been afflicted with a strange dream about a turtle skeleton...
In the morning Luis showed me the back patio where there were lime trees and a cinnamon tree. I learned that a delicious tea can be made from the bark. I was excited to see the backyard because Luis told me that when he was growing up there used to be a big tree that was always full of iguanas. According to Luis, iguanas are the squirrels of Panama. He told me a sad story which I don't want to relate entirely because many of my readers will be animal lovers. The tree full of iguanas is no longer there because of a tragedy. The tree was struck by lightning and the poor iguanas were killed. Luis said that his mother was devastated because these iguanas had made her very happy.
For breakfast every morning during the week before Luis mother and father go to work (both University professors) a young lady named Angela serves us fresh fruit and coffee and whatever we like to eat. Angela is a very funny lady and talks a lot! She has children and a husband named Santiago. She says that because of their names they are an angel and a saint and for this reason they were meant to be together! You will also be amused to hear that Angela said referring to me ¨Esta niña come mucho!¨ meaning ¨This girl eats a lot!¨ When it comes to fresh fruit I could eat it all day long. Angela wore the funniest yellow t-shirt yesterday with the words in english ¨Late Nite Lounge, Mingle if you're single.¨ I laughed really hard privately of course. She said that she looked all the words up in the dictionary to make sure it didn't say anything bad.
Well, that's enough for now! Talk to you soon everybody!