ruthkennedysretirementblog

Building a mud house

Pedasi hosted a special event: Junta de Embarra. An embarra is the building of a mud structure. The story goes, years ago a community would get together and build a mud house for newlyweds. It was constructed of clay and straw that was made into mud and plastered against a frame. This was a standard type of building until brick blocks came along. The building will last for many years (60+) and the interior will stay cool in the heat.

The frame was made of wood and bamboo.

At the event we attended, a group of men did the initial hard work. Breaking apart this packed dirt with shovels while others dumped water by bucket fulls.

Then the fun started. Everyone was invited to join in and help mix the water into the soil by stomping on it. Of course we had to try.

Once this was sufficiently mixed, straw was added. Stomped in and more added.

It did not take long to absorb the moisture.

And some people had to get pulled out of the muck!

Once it was all mixed up, the next step was putting the clay mixture on the wooden structure. All hands on deck were required to get it done before dark.

Amazing how quickly it took shape.

Everybody pitched in. All ages. Teamwork accomplished a lot in one afternoon.

And some needed a good rinsing at the end.

A fun day with food, drinks and music. A great tradition to keep alive.

We went home full of mud and sunshine.

Cheers

Ruth

Merry Christmas from Pedasi

Pedasi has its Christmas parade after dark. Sure gives a different perspective. Even though there is no snow, Santa comes all dressed in red. This truck was pulling the big Christmas tree float.

A decorated boat makes a lovely ride for this snowman and Santa.

And another Santa!

There were lots of marching bands.

And kiddies on floats.

Then there is Minnie and I think Super Mario.

A lovely parade for this little town. There were more floats but my pictures don’t always turn out in the dark. And of course there were fireworks later on.

A very Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

Ruth and Daryl

Miraflores Locks,Panama Canal

Tours on the Panama Canal are currently happening only on Saturdays and Sundays. As this timeline did not work for Heather and Mike, we went to Miraflores.

Miraflores is one set of locks that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The museum here is temporarily closed, however we had previously visited a museum in Casco Viejo that gave a good history of the canal’s construction.

There was security, we had to go through metal detectors and there was fencing all around. This canal provides a vital link for shipping!

Looking east and west.

The locks run 24 hours a day, going half a day in each direction. When we arrived the change over was happening. We had time to go to the Imax theatre before seeing our first ship. Morgan Freeman narrated a 3D movie about the Panama Canal history and operations. It was well worth seeing.

On a Tuesday afternoon there sure were a lot of people to see the first ship through the locks. It was an oil tanker.

Some of those big ships have only a foot of space between the ship and the side of the lock.

There are two channels in the Miraflores Locks that are alternated, with the water going up and down from one side to the other. We next saw a container ship that was in the far channel. It was too big to fit into my picture.

Then we watched a cruise ship go by. It was massive.

Definitely an interesting afternoon. Of course we just had to stop on the way out for a Christmas photo.

Cheers

Ruth

More Anton Valley

After our fabulous early morning hike to La India Dormida, we had a few more stops to make before our one full day in El Valle de Anton was over.

Our first stop was at the Butterfly Haven which is right in town. It was so worth it! Our guide said there are 23 species and about 8000 butterflies. A couple of times the guide would shake a tree and literally hundreds of beautifully coloured ‘jewels’ would go floating through the air.

The entire presentation was well done, with lots of information and visuals of the short life cycles of those creatures.

Our next stop was to Aprovaca, an Orchid Nursery and Conservation Centre. This too, was located right in town although tucked away and not readily easy to find. We had last been here four years ago. It was beautiful, but not as many flowering orchids as previously. Most of the flowers were smaller than my baby fingernail.

Well, not everything was an orchid. There were some people, gourds and lots of flowers. In both the butterfly and orchid places, we were the only visitors.

We saved the Pozos Termales for the end of the day so we could relax in the hot springs in the jungle. The water was more warm than hot.

Upon entry we were each given a little pot of black mud for a facial. This could only be kept on our face for 10 minutes and had to be washed off before going in the hot tub.

At one point the rain came down the valley fast and furious , it felt wonderful. 45 minutes was the maximum time to be in the hot tub.

El Valle de Anton has a lot to offer. Being in the mountains, the day was hot but it was a little cooler in the evening. Although I am not really sure 24C can be considered cool. All in all, a very good day.

Cheers

Ruth

El Valle de Anton

With Heather and Mike’s vacation coming to an end, we went to El Valle de Antón for a couple of days. Anton Valley is a lovely town located in an extinct volcano, surrounded by mountains. Of course we had to take the scenic route through the mountains. I forgot to take pictures as I was too busy holding on.

It truly felt like we were on top of the world.

We found a unique little hotel halfway up this mountain and just a few minutes out of town.

On a Monday night we were the only guests. We sat and listened to the sounds of nature surrounding us while the family cooked us a home cooked meal. ‘Twas sweet.

Bright and early the next morning we hiked part of the La India Dormida trail.

La Dormida is in a protected area and is several kilometres long. The path starts out wide and paved but fairly quickly becomes a rocky climb. Wet leaves can be pretty slippery too.

We met a couple of policemen who told us people whose ancestors have lived on this land for centuries continue to live in this area.

This gigantic rock had some pretty spectacular hieroglyphics. Apparently they are thought to be 14,000 years old.

Heather and Mike went further up the trail than Daryl and I. They found more hieroglyphics.

We walked besides a series of falls all the way up.

And then we went down.

Too bad we weren’t properly equipped to do the loop, but with only one full day there is much to see in Antón Valley.

We will be back.

Cheers

Ruth

Surfing in Venao

Since Mike and Heather have been visiting, there has been nothing but blue skies and sunshine. Sure makes great weather for surfing. The goal was to spend a couple of days surfing at Venao, and it happened. On the first day Mike was the sole surfer, the rest of us were content to sit and watch.

The surf shop we went to for rentals is not big, but it sure gets busy. It looks like Mike is the only person in the water, but there were lots.

Even when not surfing, seems like Heather and Mike had fun playing in the waves. Have to be careful, that board gave a good bonk on the head.

The iced coffee was good too,

Our second day at Venao Daryl, Heather and Mike went surfing. I was the official photographer (what would we do without phones!). It was incredibly hot. My phone said 33C but feels like 37C. The sand felt even hotter, it would burn bare feet in a flash.

Unfortunately those pictures of Daryl were taken directly into the sun. Look at that man go!!

And Mike is up and going.

Heather had never been surfing before so a lesson was just the thing to do. And she’s up.

And they are done for the day. Time to hose the boards and bodies off and hit the road.

After all that work we had to stop for a bite to eat and watch the sunset in this little corner of paradise.

Another couple of good vacation days. Time is flying by.

Cheers

Ruth

An entertaining hike

There is a well marked ‘jungle’ hike that is basically across from the town of Venao. It is fairly shaded which makes a great hike in this heat.

It only costs $4 per person to access this private hike. The grounds and path are nicely maintained. Other than having to ‘rock walk’ across a couple of streams, the path itself was quite dry.

We weren’t very far into our hike when we started hearing howler monkeys. Luckily Heather and Mike spotted them and we were able to watch an entire troop cavorting in the trees. We often hear monkeys when out walking, however this is the first time seeing so many in the wild.

There are several labeled trees . The Barrigon is called ‘big belly’ because of its ability to store water during the dry season. It sounded hollow when you tap on it.

At first glance to me this looked like a bear cub hugging a tree. But no, it is just a termite house.

Part way up the hike there was a waterfall and a great place to cool off. There are three pools if you want to do the climb.

We made it to the lookout and had a great view of Venao.

For some crazy reason going down was much easier!!

After a late lunch we took the scenic route home.

A short cut across country turned into another adventure.

Our goal was to join the highway at a little town called San Jose. When we arrived there we found ourselves in the middle of a parade.

Now that was a full day.

Cheers

Ruth

Panama Viejo and more

On our last day in Panama City before heading back to Pedasi, we actually got to visit the ruins of Old Panama City.

Panama Viejo was the original Panama City until it was destroyed in 1671. Those pesky pirates!!

We took the shuttle to the main exhibit, although there is lots to see throughout. There are several buildings that have been restored and our first stop was the tower. Some of us even climbed to the top. Heather and Mike are way up at the top of the tower.

So much to see: the ruins of churches, convents, a hospital, a cistern and much more.

Our next stop was the Smithsonian Nature Centre at Punta Culebra. It is located on the Amador Causeway and our first good look at ships waiting to go in the canal.

The nature centre was very well done and interesting. Heather wanted to see a sloth in its natural habitat. We saw five plus a baby attached to his mommy hanging in a tree. Those sloths are not in captivity, it’s their home.

Daryl almost stepped on this one!

A short walkway through the trees and another attraction completed.

The nature centre is across the road from the port where a big cruise ship was docked. Seems like there has been a large shopping district built up around it. We sure enjoyed the gelato.

Another good day in Panama City.

Cheers

Ruth

Casco Viejo in Panama City

Not realizing yesterday was a national holiday, we tried to go to Panama Viejo, Old Town. When we got there, it was closed. Not all was lost, as next door was a mall filled with artisanal shops where we did a bit of browsing, and made a few purchases.

After a quick change in plans, we decided to go to Casco Viejo. Even though Daryl and I have visited multiple times, we still had a great time wandering around.

The beautifully maintained churches were a great start to our day of many steps.

Each church is unique and showcases something different.

This nativity scene is truly incredible. It is hard to imagine the amount of work that went into each piece!

We found a museum dedicated to the construction of the Panama Canal, the life and politics of the time, and the emergence of Panama as an independent country. We all found this very enlightening; we easily spent a few hours there.

After a visit to the market our feet were just about worn out!!

Time to call it a day and find food. The Korean BBQ seemed to fill the bill.

Another full day in the city with Mike and Heather.

Cheers

Ruth

Love being a tourist in Panama

Daryl and I have been in Panama for a month already. We have really not done anything touristy. Thankfully that changed when Heather and Mike arrived.

With all of the protests and roads closures that have been happening, it seemed the safest way to get to the city was during the middle of the night. So that’s what we did. Left Pedasi at 10 PM and arrived at our hotel just after 3AM. Smooth sailing all the way.

Heather’s and Mike’s flight arrived, and they are ready to see this beautiful country.

Finding an activity for Monday was a bit of a challenge. Most things are closed on Mondays, or open fewer days of the week, with the significant decrease in tourists.

We ended up going to the Embera Indigenous Village and it was a great trip. Before getting on the bus (only us) we were warned that if the road was blocked we would have to return as there is no work around. During the 45 minute trip we had no problems.

It was so worth it. We took little dug-out boats to go to the village.

The boat ride up (or down) the river had the most incredible scenery. Lots of other boats were also making the trip.

We arrived at the village to music.

What an interesting day. We were entertained, taught about the local culture. And fed. What more could a person want!

Food is cooked on an open fire (the stove) and every house has one.

Our plates were plantain or banana leaves made into a cone with a hibiscus for decoration.

One of my favourite stories is the punishment for a crime. Both ankles go in a wooden block with cut outs. A board goes across the top and you sit like this for three hours a day for five days. To make the punishment a bit more memorable honey is outlined around the person. Apparently the ants love it.

The main sources of income are tourists and crafts. All the crafts, and the dye used, is made from locally sourced material. The black in this bowl is achieved by soaking the material in mud for four days. Labour is charged at $1 per day. This bowl was $35 so a lot of work went into it.

This lovely lady is the local midwife. She is 84 years young and going strong.

After lunch entertainment was dancing. The little kids were so cute.

To end our tour, we did another boat ride through the jungle, then a walk along the rocky river bank, to a waterfall. We arrived at the same time as a group of school kids. Lots of people took their shoes off but the rocks were killers on bare feet!