Happy Birthday Jenn!

It's Jenn's birthday!! Which led me to create the ridiculous video below. I had some up close sloth footage, that I had been saving to share on her birthday. Then I finally read her facebook events page and realized she had a great request for her birthday this year. Option One was to go to her party and dance to fantasticly funky beats all night long. Her brilliance was with her Option Two, allowing her friends from all over the world participate in the dance party! The facebook event read: 

If, for some unfortunate reason, you cannot join me in person, send me a video or photo of your best dance move. You have a week to practice. Don't let me down. Bonus points for groups. Oh, and tell me what song you were jamming to. It will be the playlist of the (quarter of a) century.

So naturally, I thought a sloth paired with some monkeys and a turkey, all grooving to a k-os song was the way to go...

Same old, same old.

Everyone gets asked "How's it going?", and once you've fallen into a normal routine you can get by with saying "Oh, just the same old, same old".
You know, the whole waking up, checking the solar voltage while listening to the insane call of a huge male Montezuma Oropendola nearby, making coffee then enjoying it by the water's edge. Taking out two loveable and intelligent bulldogs to the back patch if jungle, and then feeding them a breakfast of eggs and potatoes. Say hello to Seabastian, Piti, and Benjamin, and see what work they're up to for the day. Open up the computer to see what the world outside the island of Bastimentos is up to.

Then look out at the water to decide what kind of day it is. Is it calm and clear enough for a snorkeling trip? Mild waves for a standup paddle board run? Is there a boat anchored to kayak up to? Maybe it's too rainy for all that and it's a writing day or time to curl up with the dogs and a good book or see what projects I can do around the house. Is it scorching sunny and a perfect day to do laundry? Is it a warm cloud covered day, good for a walk to a neighboring property? Maybe I'll go for a swim or eat a coconut.

Time for lunch and I say hello to Cruz or Marta depending on the day and ask them about their week. "Hi Marta, I heard you killed your pig on Monday, how did it go?" Cruz is great conversation while Marta is more timid. I call Marta the ghost as she comes in to work and moves around so quietly I never know when she's arrived and have to go seek her out to say hello.

Some days I go into town for supplies, or have visitors or day trips. I'm usually content to stay just where I am though, and find many little things to pass the day. Then it's sunset on the dock with pelicans and maybe a chat on skype. Dinner for the dogs and myself. A short night walk to the front beach and some moments spent looking up at the stars. I'm either in awe of the brightness of the moon, or in awe of the darkness that eats the light of my flashlight. Some nights it's so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. Some nights are so bright you can see clearly without any artificial light.

Then I think about the new things I've seen for the day. How many hummingbirds, snakes, butterflies, new bugs and fish crossed my path? Was the last time I saw a monkey really Tuesday? Has it been a whole month since I saw a dolphin jump?

Same old, same old is about to change a lot though. The owners of the house are back, the sit is over and guests are arriving soon. My hermit days are gone, and now I'll be with a bustle of people. On the dock with some wine and catching up of all things we had a very thought provoking conversation about what's next, what's possible in months to come...

I have a ticket home, and I can't commit to anything until I make it back home, make sure my head is screwed on right and see how I feel in a different environment surrounded by people who know me best. There's a strong pull though, maybe my year plus of traveling doesn't actually have to end just yet.

Tracy Chapman, I think I just got way more than one reason...

The Unexpected Visitor Revealed

So the 'someone' from my last post is my mom! After she got caught up on the important things, like how I hardly ever wear shoes, now have tattoos, and has met the new beau, we had lots of beer and wine, and lots of scrabble playing. Our combined score is just under 600 but "those were interrupted by lots of catching up and basically practice games" says my mom.

She's a very excited-about-everything vacationer, from being a die hard fan of the Casa granola, which is a staple for my breakfasts, to becoming the next spokesperson for great mattresses and fitted mosquito nets. I'm happy to see her relaxing on the dock and settling in nicely with the bugs. The occasional bursts of "GHA! What was that?" remind me of my first nights of jungle life (see Does the jungle love me?) and how easily I live here now.

We've talked about my early influences of Panama, and maybe I hadn't remembered, but a lot of family things may have set me up to come to Panama. My grandparents visited Panama with their children almost forty years ago and I grew up with a wall hanging of about 30 Panamanian molas sewn into a quilt. My mother also wrote a short story about why she speaks Spanish but not Polish, and contributes it to her early influences of coming to Panama (hopefully she'll let me share it here).

I also reminded her of the very influential reason I needed to come to Panama, to live with monkeys. My all time absolute favorite book as a kid (Amelia Erhart picture book biography, a close second) was There were monkeys in my kitchen, Written by Sheree Finch, Illustrations by Marc Mongeau. Over and over I begged my mother to read this book to me. I think of it often when I hear the monkeys swinging from trees, and although there are no monkeys directly in my kitchen they are right outside and always hanging around...
Maybe someplace with elephants will be next...

Move-in Day

I'm having my good-morning coffee with a different kind of monkey. When I woke up this morning there was a family of white faced monkeys waiting to welcome me to the neighbourhood. They ran off more quickly then the howlers I'm used to but I was happy to see the new face.

Bocas Town view from the dock

Chickens wandering around Bocas town

Yesterday I said goodbye to dolphin bay. Obviously I'll be back. Actually I'll be back as soon as Sunday for the restaurant Rana Azul's Octoberfest party. It will be a steady separation from a place that feels very much like home. I'm about an hour away by boat but the environment is so different it almost feels like a whole other planet. There are white sandy beaches here, two different species of monkeys, red frogs, iguanas and jesus lizards. Not to mention a whole different set of characters.

Off main street towards the fire station, beside La Union is Michael's

Yesterday afternoon I got picked up and went into town where I had a few hours to walk around and get anything I needed. I decided since I was going to be around more people the hole-y wardrobe needed an update. I went on a big shopping spree in town and spent a whopping $22.65. I spent $15 at a second hand shop named Michaels beside the hidden upstairs Tom #2 restaurant, beside la Union. Then at Union I spent $5.15 on new guitar strings, embroidery thread and razors. La Union is the place to get most everything but the sales lady at the counter has a favourite saying "no we don't have that" or rather the Spanish "no hay" even if you just bought it. To top off a 'full day' of shopping (in Bocas even your full grocery list wont take more than an hour) needs a treat. I got a $0.75 empanada at John's Bakery a regular check point for the early morning shopper and spent $1.75 for a double scoop of ice cream at Golden Grill. As traveling by boat in the heat is not conducive to ice cream and it's one of my favourite food groups I try to get some in town when I think of it.

The New Wardrobe: 3 t-shirts, 3 tank tops, 2 long sleeve shirts, 1 linen pants

Then it was a boat ride to Casa Cayuco. I have been looking forward to this for weeks and it's a place I instantly feel comfortable. We arrived in the dark through a sea full of bio luminescence and I hadn't even made it to my cabin when everyone stopped to look at night monkeys with big huge eyes, furry tails and little ears. A rare glimpse and heart melting cute, especially the baby. Then it was a wonderful meal prepared by Sue, a night swim and great sleep.

My computer even matches the chair, it was meant to be!

I'm onto my second coffee and ready for a day of learning with Lloyd and Sue. This is one of those arrangements where I'm not quite sure who's happier. I feel so appreciated for taking this on and so grateful for having this as my new home. If it's possible to be in love with a place this jungle certainly has my heart.

The day to day in Panama

A praying mantis visits our vlog

In catching up on stories about Paris I've been leaving out details about Panama. Jenn and I have been doing a fun nightly Vlog that we're already excited to look back on. It's probably funniest for us. Now, how to explain Dolphin Bay, Bocas del Toro...

Me with a Kinkajou

A paradise to look at, with a great community feel. I have come in contact with more bugs and animals then ever before. I've gotten acquainted with a kinkajou, a possum, cicadas, dolphins, birds, snakes, fish, leaf bugs of all sorts, howler monkeys, sloths, ants galore, dogs and horses. Everyone that lives out here is a character with an amazing warm heart. Everyone looks out for each other here and together the cruisers and expats have made a welcoming Bay.

The view from the tree house

I usually wake up between 6-7am and enjoy a coffee as I look out onto the Bay. Jenn and I like to take in the view as we listen to the morning Net, a radio show that everyone in the area participates in. Sometimes we play a game of cribbage and are usually content just making fun of the trivia questions. We're the youngest house sitters in the area and the questions are usually about things 'before our time' and prefaced with "this is an easy one". (If it's so easy why do only two people ever participate with answers?) So sometimes we'll shout out ridiculous answers just for our own enjoyment.

Rana Azul "parking lot"

 The rest of the day is filled with house sitting duties (general clean up, walking the grounds, maintaining the solar batteries, feeding the dogs, paperwork for the worker) reading, writing, learning something new about sail boats, socializing and exploring the area. Every Wednesday there's a game of Mahjong but we've only been a couple times. Every Sunday the restaurant Rana Azul is open and it's a great way to see everyone in the area to catch up, enjoy some drinks and buy eggs. That's right, we buy our eggs when we go out to the restaurant from another patron who has hens. The weekly supply sells out pretty fast so we try to get there by noon.

Watching friends watch dolphins

We go into town to get our gas, propane, and food supply once a week. We use the propane for the stove and fridge. The gas is for the boat and generator. Our boat Cricket recently had some problems so we've been relying on the kindness of others to take us into town. We've had enough sun that we've only had to run the generator when we equalized the batteries for the solar energy.

The Treehouse

Jenn and I call this place the Treehouse. It's raised off the ground and level with the canopy of the surrounding trees. It's completely off the grid, running off solar power with a back up generator to use when needed. There are two huge water tanks that catch the rainwater that is collected from the large circular roof. We were happy to discover that if we're not catching sun, we're catching rain and always replenishing our basic needs. The washing machine runs off the solar energy and all the rain water is filltered first through a regular sieve to catch debris and then though a filter. Sometimes we put the rain water through another filter before drinking but we usually drink right from the tap.

A Troller (left) and a Panga (right)

The only way to get around here is by boat. There are no roads in the jungle and we're lucky to have a few well maintained foot paths. Jenn and I kayak around from time to time and love to visit the boats in our bay. That's right, only here 45 days and we're calling it "Our Bay". We've had a few cruiser dinners, pot lucks and juice bars where we've invited newcomers and returning boats up to the Treehouse so we can brush up on our sailing vernacular.

Panama Vlog

Since being here in Panama my friend Jenn and I decided it would be a good keepsake to take a quick video detailing the highlights and oddities of our days here in Panama. Neither of us have experienced life in the jungle before and want to remember each day! It's been a fun 23 days of vlogging so far. There's footage of howler monkeys, dolphins and our interactions with some BIG bugs.

I've just added a button in the right hand column for easy access to our daily banter. Hope you enjoy our channel:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCECB3ULfadyc8Noxvy-xs8g/videos