07/15/08
Well, we finally got into our hotel at around 10 last night. We were delayed an hour and a half in Houston waiting for the plane to clear customs. Then the immigration and customs and car rental in Tocumen took over two hours. I had to drive to the Amador causeway at night along Balboa ave right on the waterfront. We made a couple of wrong turns and ended up in some pretty scary areas but I just followed a big city bus, figuring it would get us out eventually and drove like a panamanian so we finally made it. The causeway is totally developed commercially with big restaurants, shops and hotels. Our place is right next to the old housing for the navy bigwigs, chick said. It is pretty nice. We can look out on the yacht club and see the entrance to the canal, about a 1/2 mile from the bridge. It all looks the same to me so far. I will see as we go around. Love , Gary and Chick
07/15/08
Today we got up not really knowing what time it was here....we are only 1 hr. different from you, since no daylight savings. We decided to go down to the end of the Causeway to some shops and restaurants that we saw last night. Most were closed but we had a Subway for lunch. I guess the most interesting thing to me has been how much Spanish I have had to use!!! Never have ordered completely in Spanish before, but did it again tonight at Friday's (attached to our hotel). Our cuisine was on the trusted side today, but I had lots of papaya and passionfruit juice for breakfast. (Also forgot how soggy pastries can get in the tropics.) Also had a mango that I gleaned -fell off the tree at my feet - in one of our stops - it was wonderful!!! We also went into Balboa and took pictures of the chapel (surrounded by a white wrought iron fence now) and the YMCA where I was baptized. There are shops in the Y now, so we did some shopping for short people. Grandpa is really proud and excited to show you his prizes! Then we went on a little drive and took a picture of the admin bldg, Goethals memorial, Balboa elementary, BHS, and tried to find Grandma and Grandpa Bouche's last house on Ancon Hill, but I couldn't remember where to turn at the Governor's house, so we ended up going down by Gorgas (the hospital where Bud and I were born) Then we came back to the causeway to go to the Smithsonian compound that is here. Li ke I told Chase, we saw lots of animals who were not bother by us and lots of plants that I recognized...sobralias, coffee, almond trees, saw grass, etc. We sat and watched several trips passing under the Bridge on their way to the Pacific. Pretty relaxing for the most part, since I wasn't driving. We can drink the water here, so not too much of a problem yet. Gary is even picking up on some Spanish! We have been impressed with how well things look, although there are also some bldgs in obvious disrepair, there are many new very nice bldgs, too.
I have to say when we were landing, it brought tears to my eyes to see so many things that I had known so well - even in the dark - and it made me miss Grandma. Thanks to all of you for your thoughtfulness. We are loving it and wishing you could all be here to share it with us...we miss you!! Hope everything is going well there.
Much love, US
P.S. You should see my humid hair - YIKES!!! And I have a mosquito bite on my cheek, because I put repellent everywhere but on my face!
07/16/08
Today we got up earlier and went to see the temple. It was quite an experience. As we got in the room to wait for the introductory film, my eyes filled with tears. I finally got myself back together and was OK until we got to the celestial room then started again. The temple and the grounds are immaculate, serene, and beautiful. The temple sits west of the Cardenas Chapel next to the Cemetery. We tried to take representative pictures (and would be sending them now, except we forgot the cord to connect to the computer and have not been able to find one to buy). They have used many Minerva Teichert paintings in their decor. The furnishings have been carved from local woods (dark and rich) and look elegant with neutral toned fabrics. The flower arrangements are full of tropicals appropriate to the area. The baptismal font rests on marble oxen carved with intricate details. The rooms are full of light banked with stained glass windows. They are using a film, but move from the creation room (painted to match the surrounding jungle areas) to the simple, but elegant world room to the celestial room. There is a fountain outside with impressive landscaping. Nearby there is a large two-story building that will be used as a "hotel" of sorts with a central kitchen facility for members to stay in as they come to the temple to perform ordinances. The missionary we were talking to thought that the charge was just $12. I was so touch ed and impressed.
After the temple, we stopped at the cemetery. My friends and I used to play in there when I lived in Los Rios, building forts in the sugar cane and the mango trees. I also knew that my grandfather Bouche's brother Gaston (died at 15 of "swamp fever") was reburied there when they moved the graves from Mt. Hope Cemetery on the Atlantic side. As the lady who helped me find where he was buried was handing me the info and a map, she said, "By the way, there is another Butcher buried here - Jewell." She was married to my Grandfather's brother, Henry. This was interesting, because just last month when we were cleaning out my office and then again just last week, I came across her picture, and even more interesting, I knew who it was! Grandpa said that she had died in her 40s and that she was originally from New Jersey, so I automatically assumed that she was buried there. It was a real surprise to find her in Corozal - also a transfer from Mt. Hope. I think she must be trying to tell me something! I took pictures of the graves and of the corotu tree I used to climb.
Then we went to Los Rios. Man! Things sure shrink as you get older. I was surprised to find that the houses were much smaller and closer together than I think of them in my mind. Of course there was much more vegetation; after all there is a jungle out there. I took pictures of both of my houses and my Grandf ather's house in Diablo and my elementary/junior high school. Gary was impressed that I could remember where the streets went after all these years. He has been a great driver - competes well with all the really crazy dudes behind the wheels of the other vehicles!!!
After the photo memory session, we went to the Albrook Mall for lunch. YIKES! Gary thinks there are probably 300-400 stores. It took us a while to find the food court - the main one. It probably has 20 restaurants on the main floor and almost that many more on the second floor! Gary had a hamburger combo, and I had a Panamanian panini - 6" ham and cheese with mayo and ketchup? :( - and a yummy flan from a bakery/deli with a drink ($2.25). We wandered around for a LONG time, looking for a cord for the camera and just seeing everything that was there. Those of you with kids going back to school would love to have been there to see some of the stores - shirt and jeans outfits for 3.99 and tons of things for less than $5 - even shoes!!! While we were there, the afternoon monsoon hit, no kidding. It is rainy season and today it lived up to its name with thunder and a downpour that sounded like hail that lasted for about an hour, reducing to a normal rainstorm. There was even flooding in some areas. So we were happy just to be exploring the monster mall. We stayed long enough that we decided to eat dinner there, too in another smaller20food court at a place called Lanos y Carbon. Gary wanted a T-bone ($7.50), but they were out, so he had a NY that must have been 16 oz. for $12. I had a filet for $11, which was really 2 (on a dinner plate larger that the Chinet plates we use), smothered in a mushroom sauce with tons of mushrooms. Then on separate plates, we each got a huge serving of rice pilaf, salad, a biscuit-type "tortilla," and 4" section of ripe plantain sauteed in butter. Not realizing how big the meal was going to be, I had ordered a side of plantanos. We brought those and my other steak back with us and left a lot of rice!! It was dark and still raining when we came back, but Gary got us here safely. "Interesting" is not even an apt description of driving here.
There are so many things that come back to me - the glue on the envelopes sticking without being licked, soap melting in the shower, towels that never dry on their own, soggy things, moldy cement squishy red mud, stickers in the grass, HUMIDITY that makes you cold in the AC, nice skin without lotion, the siren that still goes off at 12 noon. Now that one was weird, because we were standing in front of the chapel when it went off, and I automatically looked at my watch. I couldn't believe it after all these years! I have smelled plumerias, gardenias, and ginger to death, sucked honey from ixora and another red flower that we used to do as kids, picked up mangos from the20ground that I never did as a child because we climbed the trees, and I am loving this!
Much love,
US
07/17/08
Today was a very busy day. We started by driving over the bridge of the americas toward Howard AFB. It is a four lane road now with many billboards. We could not get on Howard, only people who work there can go on so no visit to our old house. So we drove out to Vera Cruz, a beach town on the backside of Howard and walked on the beach and mom found some shells and bought a bracelet from some kid selling them on the beach. Then we drove to Miraflores locks and went to the visitor center, museum, movie and watched some huge container ships transit. I mean huge, 1000-1200 containers each. Pretty impressive. We drove around and looked at some other old houses that chick used to live in, and some of her relatives. Then we went to Gamboa, about 20 miles out of the city where they use to live by Taberts. We went to a place called the Gamboa Rainforest Resort where on Sat we will go on a jungle canopy tour and monkey island boat ride. Check it out a gamboaresort.com. Should be cool. Tomorrow we do a half day canal transit that takes us thru miraflores and pedro miguel locks and lets us off in Gamboa, to bus back. It takes from about 9 to 3 o clock. We went to the mall again to eat, there are 32 places in the food court. It is an awesome mall and really busy, like the saturday before xmas every day. We ran into 10 missionaries eating dinner, so we bought them dessert at Dairy Queen. They were half gringos and half latin american. Fort Clayton is very well kept up, as are most places they can use, with others just being abandoned. All in all, I think they are doing a good job of developing as a country, just need more time. I got stung by a bee on my tongue. It climbed in my pepsi can at miraflores, and when i got to the bottom swig, it stung me. My tongue is a little swollen, just like after the dentist, so i have talked funny all day. We just sat on the patio by the pool and watched five ships transitting the canal. So close we could almost hit them with a rock. It is cool. Are things going ok with everyone? Write me back. Gary
07/18/08
Today we went on a half transit of the canal on the Islamorada - a restored wooden yacht brought to Panama in the late 50s by Steve McQueen that was originally built for J. P. Morgan, a millionaire. We used to go to Taboga Island on that boat when I was in high school, and my class had several parties on it, as well. We went to Gamboa, then returned on a bus to our hotel. It was fun to go through the canal with Gary and see it through "new eyes." Rested for a few, then went back to pick up a few more souvenirs at the Y. Tonight we ate at Mi Ranchito - at the end of the causeway under a bohio. I ate a carimaniola, corvina, and yuca. We got ice cream cones and sat on a bench and watched the boats outside the breakwater waiting to enter the canal. I have really been impressed with how well almost everything is taken care of in what used to be the Zone. It is really spotless in all public places. There are employees on the spot everywhere to immediately take care of anything.
Gary read all the emails and cards for his birthday, because we are leaving early to go to the Rainforest stuff in Gamboa. He was really surprised and loved them all. Thank you so much for your sweet show of love for him.
Love, Us
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