We made two trips this year to Panama. In March, Danny Foss, Deborah and I hung out in the western province of Chiriqui. We were fortunate enough to be in David at the time of the International Festival. Meanwhile the presidential election of Panama was drawing near with a flood of political campaigning everywhere we went. Danny and I plunged into the waves of Playa Las Lajas on the Pacific coast. We even made it up to Boquete and it felt just like a Latino Switzerland. We hooked up with a friendly Canadian couple traveling through Central America, soothed our travel-weary bones at “Los Pozos de Caldera” and dined at an Italian restaurant.

In June Deborah and I returned to Panama determined to see the canal. The drive was loooong and our time short. But it was well worth it and very impressive. Those boats crossing the canal are immense! People look like ants crawling around those structures. Panama City is super modern. Personally I think it puts San Jose to shame.