In the Citaaaaay…City of Panama

Wow, this was the first time it hit me how different life really is here…being in the city…I felt like a fish out of water…for a minute, ok, maybe a day. And then, oh man, did it feel G-O-O-O-D to be at The Radisson, go to the mall, hang out in a big girl city lounge/bar and go to the salon!

It’s times like these when I’m reminded of how blessed I am to have such good people in my life. I knew Patri was a gem anypoo, but now she was kind enough to invite me to join she and her friend Tabitha on this trip. So, picture this…Kah-rrren and Pah-tree-cia: two gals that banked some cash then threw their lives up in the air to go nomad, to trim the fat (ha, not from my belly) from their lives, lean and mean, living out of one bag on shoestring budgets. Tabitha: an established gal from the city that knows what she likes and is ready to have it, when she wants it, pretty sure that people like Patri and I have lost a few screws. Put it all together and you get 3 different ladies with many similarities (always loved oxymorons) havin’ a good time. Being on an actual vacation Tab pulled out all the stops to make it wonderful for herself, as she should, and was so kind and generous to help the less fortunate

There was wine. It’s been so long since I had a glass of wine I even missed Piela’s homemade batch. We had shots, more than one round. We had snacks, taxi rides and breakfasts fit for Pretty Woman. I ate ALL the blueberries, found plain yogurt and had real granola. I felt like Vivian! Tab “put me up in a great condo” girl! That’s in addition to dry, crispy sheets, a flat screen TV with no fuzz, A/C, no ants beneath my feet for 3 days, an ironing board AND a hair iron. I had straight hair AND straight pants!!!!!!!!!!!! I dispise ironing on a normal day. Watched mom sped every Sunday doing shirt after shirt after shirt. I’m now a dry and fly girl. But let me tell you, I would have ironed 100 linen shirts and all the hair China just for kicks this week. I guess they don’t really need hair straightening in China though…

To top it off she puts me up in the “Master Suite” at the Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge in Bocas Del Toro. 10 huts, 9 regular, 1 bad ass mutha for us! Huge cabana floating in the middle of the Caribe, Cleopatra beds with mosquito nets, private dock, kayaking, snorkeling, hammocks, perfect view, meals included, private bellboy service, freshly squeezed juice in goblets and a Tres Leches to die for…it was a good week.

Even the ginormous thunderstorm that hit that night couldn’t ruin the charm of this place. A little weird to be in a floating, in very-much-glass-room on the water while lighting was lighting up the place, but only a few sparks on the thatched roof…

To be continued…