A Parade Loving People

Desfile - (dehs-fee-lay) - parade.  Not just for watching, but an activity involving full participation of any and all who are near.  (my definition)

Today marks the end of a celebration for the Campesinos in Panama.  From my understanding, it was a week of remembering their roots - and today was at least the third parade this week, and a grand one it was.  Campesinos would be the farmers of the country - the regular people.  For these events, the men wear traditional shirts and hats, that, rather than being folded up on the sides like a western men's hat, they are folded up in the front and back.  Women are decked out in dresses - Polleras - that can cost from several hundred up to 10's of thousands of dollars, with beaded flower pins in their hair and gold necklaces hanging from their necks.  More about their traditional dress here.

Floats are covered in live and colorful tropical flowers, and today for this final parade of the celebration,  oxen were brought in to pull the carts as their owners would lead them down the street, surrounded by people off the street who have joined in the music and dancing and follow the parade down the road.

9:00 a.m. was the official starting time, but being the Latin-American country that it is, that didn't hold much bearing.  We left home a little after nine, parked the car, walked the length of town, went to the Mercado, sat and rested, walked back to the car, found an advantageous parking spot to watch the parade, bought a Shave Ice and waited...and waited...and waited.  Finally, after 11:30, we saw some movement (We were near the beginning.)

Shave Ice Truck

It didn't last long, once it got started, maybe 30 minutes to an hour, but was well worth the wait.  I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

 Oh, and just as an added bonus.  A couple of pics of this beautiful bright yellow Bamboo.

Make a Joyful Noise

I guess you could say I come from a bit of a musical background.  You COULD say it, and it would be true - far and wide and deep.  Singing runs in my bones, in my genes and throughout my life.   Our family - all 8 of us - all sang...and when we sing together, the voices blend beautifully.  We would sing for church - we would break into song while going down the road on vacation - and whenever we're together, there is some sort of singing involved.  I remember lining up with my brothers and sisters in the living room as little kids in Canada and singing along with Sons of the Pioneers and The Blackwood Brothers Albums. It goes back further - I even had an uncle who was the Director of Music at a big church in Arkansas and even recorded a record. We would sing along with him, as well.

For me, personally, I've been singing and performing as long as I can remember.  In church, in school, as part of concert choirs and specialty groups in both high school and college.  I sang with The Las Vegas Ambassadors while in High School (We grew up there - it was kind of an Up With People group that sang for conventions in Vegas), I was on a vocal scholarship in college. I've done Concerts in the Park, sung at weddings and funerals, led worship at our church.  You get the point - LOTS of music in my life. It is part of who I am.

Now, I am telling you this not to toot my own horn - but to make it clear that I'm VERY musically inclined.  And the reason is, that I want to tell you about some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard.

The building used to be used as a Summer Camp for orphans.  There is a big open room with benches and plastic chairs set in a circle.  Ceiling fans stir the air a bit, and until recently, there weren't enough lights to be able to see what you were reading.  Two of the walls are covered with a painted mural -  not any religious scene, but actually of the building itself and the valley it sits in. Colorful, vibrant - like a children's Sunday School class, maybe.  No one is dressed in typical Sunday finery. They don't own any.

There are no screens at the front of the church with the words on them, no hymnals to look at, only well used folders with about 50 pages of photocopied words of songs in them in 3 languages. Many of them, songs we learned as children.  They are trying to learn English and this is a great way to do it.   The page numbers are written on a white board up on the side wall of the building. Or maybe they aren't.  Someone's name is written beside it - not a music director, not even necessarily an adult.  That person calls out a page number, which may or may not be up on the board, and someone starts singing.  It normally takes the first 2 lines or so for most everyone to get on the same note in the same key, kind of like pouring the voices into a funnel until we're all headed the same direction - and then, sometimes, the stronger voices just move it to the key they are singing in.  There is no piano or guitar or even recorded music to keep them all in tune.

Sometimes the songs end up being quite high - or quite low, and we stumble through them in each language.  Spanish, English and Guna - normally every verse and chorus in each language.  Good voices, bad voices - some in time with the music, some not - and many of them still not on the same note the rest of us are on, but singing with all they've got, anyway.

I know I gave you a glimpse of this in an earlier blog, but as we have gotten to know the people and have been in several services, it has become more precious all the time.  Little families with very little income.  A grandmother who recently lost her grandson by a brutal stabbing.  Mothers and fathers with children who don't necessarily know where the next meal is coming from, not because they are lazy, but because they have small booths of items for sale at the Mercado and business is slow this time of year...who live in houses smaller than the size of my bathroom in Mexico.  A father and son who bathe in a stream and walk miles just to get there.

Mostly new believers, not hardened by the way we think church is "supposed" to be.  No bulletins.  Not just the elders reading the scriptures or praying.  Not just the deacons setting up the chairs.  Just a big family, working together - without job titles - without committees - getting it done.   I can't help but think this is what the New Testament church was probably like.

And then, at the end of the service, someone calls out another page number.  Not as part of the loosely planned service, but just because she wants to sing it. She's a little Guna woman, dressed in traditional garb, a fairly new Christian who has taught herself to read, so that she can read the Bible.  She always sings with fervor whether she knows the song or not. "When the Roll is called Up Yonder" is her choice.  We stand as we sing a verse and chorus in our own language. But then, after we've all sung - English, Spanish and Guna - we stand together as one and sing the chorus, each in our own native tongue.

"When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."

And as tears escape from my eyes for the sheer sweetness of it, I know THAT is the most beautiful music I've ever heard.  I can't help but think God is smiling as He hears it, too.

The heart of worship....

The Art of the Siesta

 My Hammock

Having lived in Mexico for 14 years, you would think I would have gotten this down a l-o-n-g time ago!  But I hadn't.  I guess the busy-ness of life just kind of kept getting in the way.  The funny thing - or, not so funny, really - is that we had 2 really great hammocks on stands AND sold probably 6 or 7 more of them at our yard sales, so...when we arrived in Panama, we were hammockless. Yep, I made up that word.  Kinda like homeless - and almost as important.  Just kidding.

When we rented our apartment, the landlord showed us that there were already hooks to hang not just one hammock, but 2 hammocks and a couple of hammock chairs.  My nephews house has hooks for  6 hammocks, and I've seen that on other houses as well.  They take this hammock thing seriously.  Stores have many hammocks hanging out front as just a teaser for the many more they have inside. Hotels have them on their patios, as do the spas.  Like I said, they take it seriously, so it seemed that we should buy a couple.  Once again, our motto is sell low, buy high.  Really, we JUST sold a bunch of them! For  NOT much money!

Hammocks at a Hotel

So there it is - my hammock - hanging on our back patio (see first photo!) - colorful! We are the proud owners of hammocks.....once again.

One day, I decided to try this thing out.  I was feeling a little sleepy - and the weather was oh, so comfortable.  I actually went and got my pillow and a light little blanket (I'm so sorry you have to hear that, my friends in 102 degree San Carlos!), climbed up there, covered up and just lay there looking at all the beauty around me.  When you're on the second story, you see all sorts of stuff about the trees and in the trees.  And as I lay there, it began to rain.  Each little leaf captured droplets of water that sparkled with the bit of sun shining through.  The corrugated tin roof made for a curtain of water pouring off in front of me, each strand of water spaced perfectly.  Squirrels ran and hopped across branches, birds sang songs I'd never heard before.  

 India Dormida

As I looked over to the right, I saw her.  She's a sight to behold - they call her India Dormida.  Do you see her resting there so comfortably? Sleeping Indian.  I thought it was awfully kind of her to be laying down resting, so as not to make me look lazy.  They DO take this Siesta thing seriously.  And so, since she was, I decided to do it, too.

Never have I slept so well.  And just because of that - I've tried it several times since.  It's so nice to practically hear it calling to me.  A time of quiet rest, where a person can't help but be amazed, again, by the beauty of God's creation all around them.  

Until, the soft swaying motion of the hammock gently lulls me t o  s  l  e  e   p ......

Sometimes a Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do

This morning, Bob and I decided to go see some of the sites in El Valle that we haven't seen yet.  So....we loaded the two of us, our dogs and a camera in the car and took off for an adventurous kind of day.  Our first stop - only because it was just a few blocks away, was Tozos Termales - the Hot Springs.

That would have been us parked on the outside of that gate...hmmm....just thought we could walk right on in.  OK...Since today is a day with the dogs as well, we continued on.  Heard they aren't all that hot anyway, but I'd still like to go see them.  

Plan B - Let's drive to the other side of town and drive BACK this way, so we can see all the signs.  Oh wait, there's the little store where I bought those cool recycled fiber pots that I am using for everything!  They're less than a dollar each (or should I say Balboa), so get 'em while they still have them.  SO...we stopped and got 3 more of them to use for pens and such on Bob's desk.  I have herbs in some, glasses and pens in some and even utensils.  Well, this girl IS on a budget, but we HAVE to be color coordinated. Pretty, eh?

OK, back to the adventurous day...we saw a sign for the Square Trees (Arboles Cuadrados), so turned there and decided to go see those.  We'd been there last week, but it was, you guessed it, raining - so we had to pass.  Today, we pulled through the beautiful gates of the hotel property where they are located, then Bob hopped out to find out exactly where they were.  He found out they were about a 30 minute walk into the forrest/jungle and how to get there.  We were about to get out of the car...and... it started raining.  Then pouring.  Harumph.

We ended up stopping at a little Italian place for lunch - got soaked going in, but then enjoyed some killer Bruschetta.  It is one of their specialties and they are always so good! Mine even had Salmon on it.  My niece and her daughter stopped by awhile later, and we had a great visit.  Came home, did some reading, relaxing - and Connie (Niece) called and said that the little stand between them and us had broccoli for $1.00 a lb.  Don't know if that's cheap or not, but thought, "As soon as it quits raining, I'll walk up and go get some."  

Well, it didn't.  Finally, I just decided I was going! This girl got her wallet, her phone and an umbrella and headed down the stairs and up the road in the rain to get broccoli.  Really.  Finally.... an adventure for the day.  

There is a little Capilla right next to where we live, so I stopped and took a pic.

They have these cute little open air chapels all over the valley.  I thought it was just because the weather is so lovely - but have seen several of them down the mountains where temps are much warmer.

And then I headed to the little vegetable stand.  A young girl was working (12 years old?) and she helped me with my purchases.  No smart phone to play with, no TV - just helping her family with their business.  Imagine that!

I got broccoli (you had that one figured out, didn't you?), carrots, potatoes and some butternut squash - all for $2.50.  I put my umbrella back up, grabbed my bag, and walked home in the rain.  By the way, the upside of walking instead of driving is all the pretty flowers and yards you get to see along the way.  

Even in the rain...

Daily Life in Panama

Hard to believe we've been here almost a month.  We have just gotten moved into our new apartment - still have some more things to buy to get settled, and some furniture is arriving Saturday, so it's almost home.  It's fun to try to decorate on a budget - though I haven't done much of that yet - still outfitting the kitchen and other rooms of the house.  We have dishes for 8 now, so we can have company - oh, but I guess you need tables and chairs - and oh yeah, silverware.  Hmmmm.....

I am amazed at the beauty that we look out at from every one of the many windows in the apartment.  Giant trees, flowering shrubs and plants (Impatiens grow in the wild here!!), majestic mountains in the distance, wispy clouds and almost daily, a heavy afternoon rain.  As I sit swinging on my hammock chair on the patio, I am just at peace....drinking in the colors and textures of all that surrounds us.  I might add - I have not been uncomfortable once since we have been here, and this is summer! The weather ranges between 72 and 80ish most days (74 right now) - just enough for a blanket at night, but no need for air conditioning.  Fans do a great job of circulating the air - and basically, it's pretty perfect....pretty AND perfect.

So - what does life look like here?

El Valle de Anton is a rather small town - but about the size of our former home of San Carlos, Mexico.  About 6000 people live here - but only a small percentage of those are Gringos.  El Valle is actually a getaway for the wealthy Panamanians that come for the weekend or weeklong getaways.  Of course, because of that, many things are available that might not otherwise be available.  High Speed Internet, lots of nice restaurants and pretty decent roads in most parts.  To get here, you turn off of the Panamerican Highway and head up winding 2 lane roads flanked on either side by jungle, several small villages, homes  and various roadside stands selling pots, pottery and primitive wooden furniture.  The climb is about 2500 feet and then a descent of about 500 feet into the floor of this defunct volcano.  It is only just over 16 miles down the mountain, but will take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to drive it.  Another 8-10 minutes will have you in the beach town of Coronado.

There are several grocery stores in El Valle - all of them pretty good sized - some of them with things like you'd find in a hardware store, plus school supplies, etc....and they all look like they are something out of the 50's or a movie set.  Each store is a bit different, and we're finding that some things are available in one store that aren't in another.  The prices aren't real cheap here in El Valle, but you can find the basics of what you need, plus a few more things.  That is offset by the wonderful availability of almost everything you could want in the town of Coronado - not too far away.    It's almost like having the US shopping just 45 minutes away! As you get closer to Panama City, the prices get even cheaper, and many things are much less expensive than the US.  Other things, however, are higher, so it evens out.

The other day, we had gotten moved into our apartment, so FINALLY, I could color my hair!  I had everything I needed, it was just packed away.  So I put the color on and set the timer.  I always go for the longest amount of time because of the gray (who, me?), so even when the timer went off, I didn't rush in to rinse out my hair, just a couple of minutes though - no big deal.  I got in the bathroom and when I turned on the water - there was none.  And I began to freak.  I stuck my head under the sink to get the few drops out, to at least begin the rinsing process...then, thankfully(after almost having heart failure) , remembered that the landlord told us that he has 2 water systems here - one from the town and the other from the mountains. They flipped a switch and I was in business.  Most people don't have that luxury though, so I was extremely grateful!

There are some quirky things here:

Lots of bicycles and people walking on these narrow 2 lane roads with no shoulders and ditches on either side of the road for drainage when it rains.  This calls for some careful and slow driving....especially on the narrower bridges.

Little bitty vans and trucks (make our Caravan look like a Semi) that look like they are on motorcycle tires.  Very inexpensive and carry a full family, so I guess they're a good thing. Oh, you'd be amazed at how many people can fit in a vehicle here!

Lots of Guna women (used to be called Kuna, but they've just changed it because there is no "k" in their language) in native dress every day.  Beautiful and colorful - with perhaps a gold ring in their nose and a dark line finely painted from the tip of their nose and up and a red and gold scarf over their head.  Many of the Guna people go to the church where we are going - and they are precious.  I love their native dress!

I told you that it rains just about every day here - normally in the afternoon - and after being in the desert for so many years, it's a welcome change.  It is very humid....not an uncomfortable kind of humid, but the kind that doesn't allow clothes to dry on the line outside - or under a patio roof, either.  Pots in the yard are quickly covered with moss. You also have to be careful that everything in your home has air circulating around it or you will find your clothes getting damp - in the closet!  A clothes dryer is a wonderful thing to have!

Roosters do not just crow in the early morning - they crow most of the night.  Party time, I guess.  Along with that are the sounds the the jungle, and the welcome sound of songbirds every morning.  Last night, there was screaming in the trees around us - as if a woman were screaming.  Even the dogs and cat were woken by the sound.  Not sure what kind of animal that was, but it was creepy!

When we went to the city the first time, we were to meet my nephew and his wife at the mall, so we got there early and were walking around.  We'd lost the lens cover to our camera, so thought we'd go in and buy one.  We told the guy which one we wanted - then had to go over to a cashier to pay ($17.00).  She then handed the paper to this other guy at a counter nearby, he stamped the receipt then he recorded the information in a spiral notebook, went and got the item and then we had to sign for it!  REALLY???  I guess that's job security.

When we used to go to the US, we would 'turn off' our Spanish and pesos thinking and adjust to English and dollars thinking.  Here, the official currency here is the American Dollar - but everything is priced in Balboas, like this - B/17.00.  They have Balboan coins, and both those and American coins are accepted.  Then they are speaking Spanish, so I get really confused!

They take the Siesta thing seriously here - almost every store is closed between noon and 2 - even the grocery stores!

Time to go play house and to clean and such.  More later.