Jumping in the Cangilones de Gualaca

We held hands, counted down

Tres

Dos

Uno

Threw ourselves off a cliff,

plunged into the cool current

and swam through a curving

canyon where slick rocks shadow

the sun. I watch children cling and clamor

up the speckled grey granite walls,

some slip and splash into the water;

Echoes of laughter reverberate

in the canyon as our smiling eyes meet.

My bare feet dangle over the edge

swinging; the sun melts the goose bumps

from my skinny legs. You bite off

the bottle cap and pass me a warm Balboa.

Sips of beer and Spanish flow back

and forth between single travelers.

My Funeral

The smell of dry
earth permeates
the air surrounding
turned dirt. I stand
watching my mourners
pass around a joint,
swig from a tarnished flask.
The jocks:
track stars, boys in baseball pants.
The artists:
wannabe hippies,
flamboyant hair colors
shrouded in layers of black.
No tears
trailing down cheeks
into the dust.

My own impurities dying, confined within a coffin.
Handfuls of dirt tossed onto polished walnut. I lean
in and sprinkle fine, red soil on the casket. I drift away
as memories of my corrupted past float by.

The headstone radiates
heat; the sun's glare blinds
the view of my two engraved
birth-dates, and a single death.

As my new life begins,
I turn and forge a new path
along cracked earth.

The Old Cities Part Two: Panama Viejo

Panama Viejo, the original city, was formed in the 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, but it was ransacked and burned in 1671 by Captain Henry Morgan, an infamous pirate. The ruins are surrounded by a lush green landscape which starkly contrasted the snow and ice I was navigating less than a week prior in Abilene, Texas. The heat and humidity was the best shock to my system! Walking around the ruins in the afternoon sunlight with the city skyline in the background extenuated the difference between the past and present.

During our exploration of the ruins I discovered I have a fear of heights. This was an odd discovery for me to make as I have climbed mountains, repelled off cliffs, zip lined through canyons, and love to cliff dive, but walking up four stories in the tower of the cathedral had me gripping the hand rail and clutching my new Panama hat. Despite being scared, the view of the city, distant mountains, ocean and islands off made it worth it.

However, one of my favorite parts about going to Panama Viejo has to be the company that joined me. Jessica and her neighbor Bolivar. I have known Jessica since I was 9 years old and this was our first opportunity to explore the world together, and Bolivar is the cutest and most considerate gentleman (it was like spending the day with my foreign grandpa) who happened to be an excellent tour guide and language coach.

The trees in Panama are sometimes overrun by Strangler Fig roots.

The tower we climbed to the top of.

Some of the stones from this monastery were used in the construction of Casco Viejo. 

Scary staircase in the tower!

View from the tower

What can I say I love ruins and wells! So I climbed in the well!

Bolivar is in the left corner! Panama Viejo is exquisite. 

The Old Cities Part One: Casco Viejo/Casco Antiguo

On Friday we explored the various old cities through Panama City. The original city, Panama Viejo, was formed in the 1519, but it was ransacked and burned in 1671 by Captain Henry Morgan, an infamous pirate. Two years later the city was rebuilt 5 miles from the original site on a peninsula where they built a massive sea wall to protect the new city from further attacks from pirates. Also, the extreme difference in the tide levels exposes the rocks and coral which further protected the city from invasion.

We started our day in Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo and worked our way back in time throughout the day to Panama Viejo! The first thing on the agenda was the to walk along the seawall among the open air markets called Esteban Huertas Promenade, they are run by indigenous people who sell their handmade jewelry, cloths and other various items. The market has a beautiful view as you can see the island of Tabago in the distance and the the city-scape of the new downtown Panama City.

 

View from the market!

Tabago is off in the distance.

All the jewelry and sculptures were carved out of Tagua nut.   

After doing a little shopping, we went to Dodo which is an adorable French café where we cooled off with a pot of tea and chocolate chip banana bread. The atmosphere is quaint with French instrumental music, black and white checker board floor, and doily table clothes. My favorite aspect is that books were scattered around the café and I found numerous classic novels, such as Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

We proceeded to walk around exploring the streets of Casco. Many of the churches were open for viewing, and apparently Jessica had not had the opportunity to go inside them since she has moved to Panama! So she got to do a little exploring with me!

The flat arch makes this unique architecturally and acoustically.  

It was amazing to see cathedrals mixed so effortlessly in with other modern buildings. 

My favorite part of Casco Antiguo was down this a rundown, stone staircase that led to a strip of sand and debris. This beach is not a place where people would typically layout, enjoy soaking up the sun and swimming; however, it contained my favorite thing to collect, sea-glass! As I walked around scanning the ground I found many treasures; including two pieces of large blue sea-glass which are a rare find! After a morning walking around in the heat, seeing the sights, learning about the history and shopping we stopped for an ice cold Balboa, a Panamanian beer, before heading back to the house to catch a ride to the old city, Panama Viejo.

This small beach had an amazing selection of sea-glass and shells!

I had to get a Panama hat!

Giving Thanks In Panama

This year for Thanksgiving I traveled to Panama to see my best friend Jessica who is living down there working for a music foundation. Leaving the United States for Thanksgiving seems counter-intuitive; however, by being in a foreign country I found myself more grateful for all the blessings in my life than I have been in a long time.

We spent the morning at a beautiful coffee shop drinking lattes and cappuccinos with foam art, and I had the pleasure of meeting some of Jessica’s friends and their adorable dog, Manu!

Manu!!

A beautiful coffee shop in Casco Viejo with a wonderful of a church that serves amazing coffee.

Jessica!

The afternoon was spent at the foundation where Jessica works. She made sure the teachers were there, that the students took their lesson and then received lunch, and she taught a violin lesson to a little boy as I sat there adjusting to the heat by sweating through my clothing. This gave me the opportunity to sit and observe all the music filling the air around me and to catch up on my journal. I had the pleasure of hearing Christmas carols mingle in the courtyard in the swelter Panamanian heat; it was an experience so far from home, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  

The art foundation across the street.

The jazz foundation across the street. 

Site reading challenge!! 

It was at the foundation that I realized it was indeed Thanksgiving, and as I looked around at the children who were so happy to be practicing Christmas music and receiving a free meal after school it became clear that this is what the holidays are actually about. I am so thankful that I was able to travel to Panama to see Jessica for a week! And that we were able to able to eat pastel de pollo for Thanksgiving dinner (at least we had a bird of some sort!)