Counting Down

This is a photo taken at the local graveyard just outside the little town of Las Lahas.  The yard is surrounded by cattle fields on all sides, with one road leading in, and picturesque in all directions.

Last evening I finally booked our flight home.  We’ll be traveling United Airways, through Houston.  It turns out a return ticket is much less than double the price of one way, so “for a few dollars more”…
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Daze at the Beach

Having decided to pass another week here at the beach, yesterday was a day of running around dealing with things for our eventual return to Canada.  There was a box stored in David, we took another run at getting my plate (no joy), shopping for necessities now that we have to cook, and a visit here and there.

David is an hour and a half in good traffic, and the earlier the better for that, so we ended up in David by 10 AM, had some breakfast, and were out of there by noon.  David is still the sweltering hot box it always was, so knowing the shortcuts and whereabouts of things really paid off this time.

By the time all the running around was done (water, gas, shampoo, toilet paper, celery… ) it was 4:30.  We unloaded the car, got things into the fridge, and headed to the sea.  I don’t think I’ve been that uncomfortable since I was rolling around under the car in the afternoons at the Pension.  The swim was a blessing.

Life at the beach is romantic, nostalgic, and a long sought after dream for many, so don’t get me wrong here… I like what we’re doing.  There are, as always, little facets of life that don’t get accounted for when blowing up the bubble in your imagination, so here’s a short account of the actual reality.

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Las Lajas Revisited, Revised, Rejuvenated

After last nights’ fiasco, the both of us had just about had it.

We were both really looking forward to this place, knowing it was a “step down” from where we were, but also that it was right on the beach, the only thing really missing was A/C, and there was almost always a breeze near the ocean.

It looks a little run down, but it sort of a surfer place, and they don’t usually ask for much.

Luxuries such as a complete roof are considered unimportant, so why repair it? Yes, on the roof on the left there, you can see daylight right through…  Nice.   But hell, it’s right on the beach!
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Las Lajas

A few days back we moved our carcasses about and hour and a half down the road to Las Lahas, a small town just up the road from one of Panamas’ best beaches.  We were looking for a week by the sea, or relatively close to it, without need or want.  We’ve been taking care of our own for some time now, I thought it time we acted like tourists for a change.

Poking around on the internet, I found the place where we are now, Paradise Inn.  It promised two pools, A/C, TV, private bath with hot water, breakfast included, and all that a tourist would expect.

We knew before leaving David that Carnival had just ended, so we expected a bit of a mess once we got here, and we weren’t disappointed.  There was trash everywhere, the dismantling had only just begun, and at the Inn, the pools were filthy (and by this I mean absolutely disgusting).
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