Halloween With Americans In Panama

Spanish word of the day: Baile – To Dance

Use: I got to dance with Dan’s wife Rilda (She’s Panamanian but has a Portuguese name) at the Halloween party, and I was having the hardest time remembering this word. I’ve put it here to remember what the word is for “to dance” in Spanish.
Baile.
I’m excited to see the Panama Canal tomorrow (from the ground – already saw it from the air flying in), and Panama City.
But we’ll leave Panama the following day on Monday November 2nd with Dan because he’s traveling to Costa Rica.
Again, as in Bocas Del Toro just a couple of days ago, I find myself disappointed to be leaving so soon.
And it’s not like we have to leave. We could stay here with Dan and Rilda in Playa Coronado (even though they wouldn’t be here) and then take the rental car back on the evening of the 3rd and stay in Panama City for an evening or two. Then figure out how to get to San Jose from Panama City (probably by Tica Bus).
But Dan is going on Nov. 2nd.
It seems like a really great way to get to Costa Rica since he’s going anyway and we can ride along, help him pay for gas, and help us get where we’re ultimately going anyway.

We also still have parts of Costa Rica we want to see, as well as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. So it’s time to say bye to Panama for now.

One unintended consequence of traveling the way we’ve traveled so far is that I feel like we’re just glimpsing things, rather than experiencing them.

I guess that’s the way that most people travel, from one destination to the next, arriving at one tourist attraction long enough to take pictures, say you’ve been there, and move along. I suppose that’s the appeal of going to some place like the Hard Rock Café or something comparable in every city where you go, so that you can say you’ve been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt.

And while we are absolutely interested in going places for more than the photo opportunity, there have also been times when we have definitely been that kind of tourist.

But we’re also the kind of people who want to really get to know a place, experience its people and culture, and enjoy playing the local games, doing the local work, or spending time doing whatever the locals do.

And right now, I wonder how we’re going to reach the locals.

Dan (who we’re with right now) is a local. He moved here permanently from the states and now considers Panama home. And he’s an awesome individual who, barely knowing us, opened his house and life to us for the days we’ve been here.

And Claudio, the owner of Hotel Angela in Bocas Del Toro, is a local. He moved from Tennessee to Bocas Del Toro 10+ years ago, and in addition to owning the hotel Angela also has a farm near Bocas.

As well, the girl I met in Bocas on her fourth day working at Hotel Angela was a local. She was a lifetime local. I’d like to learn to get to know this group of people (lifetime locals) more quickly. I don’t know why it’s more difficult to get to know this group of people.

If I had to guess, I would think the reasons they would be more difficult to get to know would be because of:
- the language barrier (In my mind, my Spanish seems to be weaker now, even though it probably is getting better)
- they either don’t want to get to know Americans, or, perhaps they perceive that I wouldn’t have much interest in seeing their lives.
- Maybe they’re uncomfortable with having a stranger into their homes?
- Maybe it just takes a while to get to know people.

I don’t really know.

What I do know is I would like to figure out how to break through that barrier more quickly.

Here are some pictures of the costumes from the Halloween party we went to.

Related posts:

1. Hotel Angela – Bocas Town, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama
2. Leaving Bocas Del Toro
3. Oh Wonder of Wonders! AC, Hot Showers, and Crossing the Sixaola Bridge Into Panama
4. Scuba certified and a perfect airline
5. Uh-Oh. Power Outage?