Looks like we made it!

Hey everybody, we’re here and so is all of our stuff. Yesterday was a crazy day that started at about 5:30am. We flew to Houston then to Panama City. When we landed we spotted a Panamanian guy holding up a handwritten sign with our names on it. This was our driver. His car was more like a rickshaw with metal walls than an actual car. There was no rear view mirror and his headlights were barely a glimmer, but he had a TV on the dash playing 50 cent and mix of rap and reggae videos. Nice.

It took about 20 minutes till we could see the buildings of Panama City. The skyscrapers there rival anything they have in Manhattan. We wound through the streets of the city and saw a few familiar chains; Subway, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, Burger King, but everything else was totally foreign until I saw a bright sign shining like a beacon of hope that said Sheraton. Of course he’s taking us to the Sheraton! But the Sheraton came along side us and passed without a pause from the driver. Then in the distance was the familiar red glow of the Marriot. Of course he’s taking us to the Marriott! But again we passed it and headed on toward the outskirts of the city.

Finally we pulled into a tiny round driveway at the Hotel Marbella. It was small, but clean. We dropped off our bags and set off to find food, but we didn’t dare venture too far. The streets smelled like hot garbage and the neon signs for erotic massage told me that this might not be the place to wander. Finally we found a little café and ordered omelets. We went back to the hotel and had a 5-hour nap before we went downstairs the next morning at 4:50am to meet our driver who had told us to meet him there at 5:00. 5:00 came and went, no driver. 5:10… 5:15. We didn’t know the name of the airport or when our flight left. Our fate was totally dependent on this little guy and he never showed. We ended up taking a taxi to the local airport and fortunately our tickets were there waiting for us.

So they told us that most people here speak English, well we must have ran into the 17 people in Panama city that don’t. Our waitress, no English, our driver the same and the hotel personnel ditto. If Jameson didn’t take Spanish in high school, we would still be stuck at the first airport

Anyway we boarded a plane that reminded me of something from an Indiana Jones film and 45 minutes later we landed in Bocas del Toro. Years of watching the discovery channel and perusing through National Geographic mags prepared me well for what I saw there. Lots of brightly colored little shops with locals lounging about on the front walk ways, dirt roads, and palm trees everywhere. Miranda, the resort manager, greeted us and we drove to Main Street. She took us to the local grocery store. Um… unless it’s packaged, I’m pretty sure I won’t be eating anything from there. I wont even go into the meat situation.

Then we got on a boat taxi and crossed the sea to Isla Bastimentos! As the tiny boat taxi slowed toward the dock, we came along side several massive sailboats. Did you know there are people that live on sailboats and just travel the world from marina to marina? What a life! Anyway we got all our bags into a golf cart and drove up to our new home. Right now I’m so exhausted I’m not noticing the cockroach traps with it’s victims lying lifeless beside them or the fact that this place smells like a million moth balls exploded. All I want to do right now is sleep! But we’re off the take a tour of the project. I’ll let you know how it goes, but right now I feel like I’m on an episode of Lost and we have just discovered the Dharma initiative.