Stayed in a great beach in Las Lalles Panama - meet a nice Italian fellow named Paulo - we enjoyed several hours of great conversation. Nice to speak with another adult other then my son. Paulo was fed up with Italy and had retired from being a Chemistry and Math teacher in Italy to his van in Panama where he had lived modestly for 4 years while he was looking for other opportunities.
Sterling has decided the women are the prettiest here so far. They are starting to look more Myan and less Mexican. Not sure I see a difference, but Panama is a very metropolitan mixed culture.
Still having no trouble finding a peace sign every day.
Panama is a thoroughly modern, cosmopolitan city but stark differences between the rich and poor. The slums in Panama city are the worst I've ever seen anywhere including the Bronx. Absolutely filthy and so sad but the people were dancing, eating, celebrating and even swimming in one photo. The wealth was extraordinary as well.
Panama does not have much of the Central American culture the other countries have that we've been through - it's been gobbled up by Gringo tourists.
We were stopped 5 times on the Pan American Highway in Panama alone. One guy stopped us and found out Sterling was driving without his license and so he tried to bribe us for $100, then dropped it to $40 when I couldn't speak Spanish. I asked for the Chief and he got his other guy who showed me one sentence on a cell phone - do you have any gifts? I just kept pounding my heart and telling him it was Christmas to have a heart. He let us go. Funny thing I thought about in hind-sight was these guys had no paper, no desk, no computer, no phone, just a building with a raised counter. I gladly said Feliz Navidad to these fellas and skipped out on my way. It was the third time we were stopped, bribed and let go because we couldn't speak Spanish. I just gave them one of my cards and they smiled and didn't know what to say expect bye. Funny system they have worked out.
Finally saw another RV and guess what it was - an older Toyota then mine.
Finally found a Dunkin Donuts in Panama City.
Fabulous architecture in Panama. Some of the most unusual buildings I've ever seen!
Did you know the USA sells their old school buses to Central America where they are re-painted in fabulous colors and designs and used for the city buses.
We notice lots of product knock offs . . . like Star Troops instead of Star Wars and AB instead of AE for American Eagle and even a rendition of a Black Barbie.
We went to Catholic Mass and found a standing room only crowd and since we didn't understand the Spanish and Latin we decided to leave after saying a prayer. We went to the Islamic Mosque next and found the men very friendly but probably shocked to see my blonde hair, blue eyes and nothing on my arms or legs. I forgot, but they were nice and polite just the same. Found the Mosque to be really beautiful, as was the Catholic Church just so different. There's a lot of tolerance in the world even though, like love and peace, we can always have more.
Fabulous day planned for tomorrow 12/26/2011 - Stay tuned.
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