I predict a riot...

So Panama was in riot mode.  A complicated tale with the villain being the President Martinelli, and the victims being the people of Colon.  Meanie Martinelli wanted to sell off the free trade land around Colon,  and this really riled the people.  Who are already cross that all the money in Panama is being spewed upon Panama City.  Which is pretty much a money laundering city anyway.  And none of it is going into Colon, or other districts desperately in need of a cash splurge.  So there were riots all week in Colon, and people were killed.  Then people started getting a bit cross in Panama City, and there were some road blocks and the like.  Big protests were called for on the Friday.  Thursday night, eve of riot day, we went to our friend Ariel's for dinner (I took a Delia Chocolate bread and butter pudding if you're wondering), where Ariel greeted us with the news that the school was closed for tomorrow.  Cue a late night of Seco, wine and merriment.  Arriving back at 2am, Shan and I came up with the bright idea, that we would escape the riots, and make the most of riot day in peace and harmony, ANYWHERE else.  At 5am, we set off to the airport.

Have you a flight booked?
No!
Where are you flying to?
Anywhere!
Yes, but what area are you flying to?
We don't mind!
Do you have somewhere specific you would like to go to?
No!  What's free!

Nothing.

Oh, ok then, worth a try.

Quick to the ferry dock!

And we set off to where the ferry leaves for Isla Contadora, one of the Pearl Islands on the Pacific side of Panama.

Two hours later, after a wet and treacherous journey we arrived...

Let me tell you, it is no fun thing having to flee your home.

 You have to drink coconut water to quench your thirst.

 You have to kayak around the island in search of white sand beaches.

 Sometimes you have May Day problems.  Like nearing the end of the Maria biscuits.  Golly gosh, could you imagine?

We also experienced other hardships like near death experiences.  A spotted Eagle ray swam beneath us.

And it turns out they are actually dangerous.
We also saw something which looked very much like a small shark.  We asked a fisherman when we returned if there were sharks around.  He said no, he hadn't seen one.  Then we said did you catch anything, to which he also replied, no.  I'm not entirely convinced he was the right person to ask.

 Here you can see we saw a pelican diving to scoop up fish.  Here we also saw two naked men swimming.  We didn't realise this until we watched one man walk slowly out of the sea, until inch by inch it dawned on us, and we almost paddled back to the riots.

The highlight of our escape from the city, was on our way back from kayaking around the island, we saw a humpback whale breaching.  It wasn't right next to us, but out to sea.  But we could see it really clearly, and it was so exciting!


This is Shan.  Thinking about politics.

We returned to the city, safe and sound. 

Rachel and the Big Kahuna

Last weekend the school gang and the Embassy gang went on a five and a half hour road trip up North to Playa Venao, on the Pacific side.  We left after work, and mainly drove in the dark.  Ariel's directions to us in Ben's car were, 'Just go straight'.  We followed these instructions until we got to the end of a dead end.  With each new instruction from the locals in each town we were told 'Turn right and just go straight.'  Our favourite game in the car was 'Spot the ratty', where on the dirt track we eagerly scoured the small area, in the pitch black, lit by the headlights, for the beady little eyes of rats on the roadside.  They are actually agoutis.

The hostel was really nice and rustic.  There was only cold water, and bugs aplenty in the toilets, but Shan and I had our little dorm, 'Seduction', to ourselves. 

Pancakes for breakfast called at the little hotel on the beach, two minutes from our hostel.  And we sat with our pineapple smoothies in the open air restaurant watching the surfers, and pinpointing who I might need to give a few little tactful hints to. 


We all hired boards and headed out to the waves.  I showed them who was master, and did a few little warm up tricks, before paddling out to the Big Kahuna, which I surfed on for a couple of hours or so before reaching the shore, where all the other surfers were cheering.  An awkward reception for someone as modest as myself.

Although the beach didn't have white or black sand, it had a really beautiful, magical feel about it.

Over dinner we made a horror film using Shan's video on her camera and in the evening we played games, including 'Hunt the Giant Toads'. 

I received a nasty injury when trying to pick one up. 

Ariel then said they could be poisonous and might start frothing white foam.  But they seemed friendly enough. 

Some of the group had brought fancy dress things for the evening, and there was a D.J. who liked to only play dance music, and pretended not to be able to speak English when I asked for Jackson 5.  The dance floor was out in the open air, and they set off fireworks and Chinese lanterns.

Here is Shan and Natalie with me.






 Here is Ben, Ariel and Natalie, who work at the British Embassy.  They are all lovely, and we usually do things with them at weekends and things.





The next day we played beach games and swam, which was really fun. 

Then it was time to go home.

And that was that.

Can you smell what I smell?

Yes, it's a burning building.  A burning building next door but one to my building!  You may think I took this photo immediately.  Actually I took it twenty four hours later, from my smokey flat.  The night before this was taken, I was meeting my friend Natalie, who lives right next door to this burning building, on the other side.  There were fire engines, and hoses, and loads of people stood right next to the burning building.  I was also allowed to just amble past, letting my clothes collect the smoke.  I went up to Natalie's flat and told her it was probably best not to have that glass of wine in the flat but head straight out.  I encouraged her to collect a few special possessions and we left.  I thought about crawling with a damp scarf stuffed in my mouth, and I suggested this to Natalie.  She thought it perhaps a little unnecessary, so we just walked normally and used the lift.  Fire or no fire, she lives on the 54th floor, and that's a long way to walk down stairs.  We got to the bottom where there was loads and loads of smoke billowing from the other side of the building.  There was a few people outside.  We asked one man if he spoke English.  He did, and Natalie asked him if it was safe.   The man said "Sure it's safe round here, there are bars and restaurants, and you can walk around".  Natalie said "I meant the burning building".  "Oh" And he looked around until he caught sight of the smoke pouring out.  "Well I hear you can get parachutes now for if you live high up, because the fire men can't get up to the high floors..I actually know the person who sells them here."

We went on to have Sushi.  My first ever, and now my last ever.

Natalie and Ben were evacuated from their building, the following morning.  But the fire has now been put out. 

We just have to worry whether it will topple down now...

Do you hear what I hear?

The abode.

Welcome to mine and Eoin's flat.  Although only occupied by me at the moment.

This is the view from the kitchen sink.From this window you can see the islands off Panama, the Amador Causeway, the container ships heading in and out of the Panama Canal, and Casco Viejo- the old town, and also the marina.

This is the living area and balcony.  Really lucky that these fantastic lamp shades came with the flat. They make such an interesting focal point. 

I have now bought nice new half price cushions and a nice table runner to jazz the place up a bit.  I took this photos at duskish time, so the light probably isn't the best. 

Balcony view.  One night this week we all woke up by a loud bang at 4am, followed by another loud bang.  I was terrified- I thought it sounded like a bomb or gun shot.  The next day after work we asked Edwin on Bayfront's desk, what the loud bang was.  He said 'Oh it was just the guy in the next door building.  He likes to throw bombs off his balcony.  The police know about him.'

View from the main window. Sorry it's a bit dark.

The kitchen. It came with an extensive selection of knives.  There are also more in the drawer.  A lot more.

 More of the kitchen.  Through the doors on the left are the the washing machine and tumble dryer.

The bedroom.

True story... When moving in to the flat, Ali and Shan helped me to bring my bags and things down, as I had been sleeping on Shan's floor.  We tried to get the lamps to work on either side of the bed.  Next to the bed is a switch that says EMERGENCY.  Whilst Ali was on the other sider of the bed trying to get the lamp to work, she thought that perhaps if she pressed this switch it would turn the light on.  Sometimes, at night, reading that last chapter of a book can be thought of as a bit of an emergency, so you can see her train of thought. An ear piercing, ear drum bleeding noise pierced through the flat.  It was absolutely deafening.  And we had no idea how to stop it. We ran around the flat screaming at each other hysterically.  The root of the sound was a massive megaphone thing in the washing machine room.  We had to call Estoban on the desk and shout down the phone at him to help us.   Finally Shan managed to save the day by punching in random numbers into an alarm box.

So next time you need to turn the light on, remember it's best not to press a switch that reads 'Emergency'.

 En suite.  There's also a toilet off the hall way.

The walls of the ensuite are also floor to ceiling windows.  As a result, this is the view from the toilet.  You can always pull the blind up if you want a better view, or to give others a better view.

 Walk in wardrobe.

 Rooftop pool.

There is also some BBQs up here, and a bar area and ice machine.  We have booked the area for later today and are having a few friends we have made at the British Embassy round for a BBQ.  There is also a gym, with running machines that look out to sea, and a games room with table tennis and pool table.

The meditation area outside the flat.

Ta da!  And that's the end of the tour.  Sorry it couldn't be brought to you by video which I had filmed originally but couldn't get to upload. 

Tune in soon for the next instalment of Rachel in the Rainforest, which is actually going to take place in the rainforest.  And I will indeed be in it.

Love to you all my little champions,  and a happy wedding day to Richard and Jenny.

Rach x x

The week with no water, but also the week with lots of water.

The first week at school turned out to be the two days.  On Tuesday afternoon of the second day of school, the water stopped running.  I had already been greatly impressed by some sizeable christenings of our shared nursery and reception toilets, which are sandwiched between the two classes.  However, generous offerings of this size are not as welcome when the flushing capacities of the toilets cease to exist.   So there's one pipe which supplies the whole city of Panama with water.  And one twit who decided to dig where this one pipe is, and thus the story of Panama city being without water came to be.

To really make a mockery of this, it rained constantly during the three days of no water.  In fact, on Thursday when I was out emailing Mum and Dad,  the wind started to howl around me and the lightening started to flash, and it dawned on me that I was in the eye of a storm.  I quickly informed the parents, of my predicament, and pushed my way into the flat.  Where the wind had picked up some papers on the desk (which should have been collected as is far too big and doesn't belong in the flat) and was busy blowing them all around the flat.  I forced the windows shut, but then realised for better picture quality I had better open them again.  And I risked life and limb to get you these pictures of the storm.  There was lightening to the left, right, front and above of me.  And the building creaked with each fork of lightening.  It was very very exciting.

Despite my reminders that Panama had had tsunami warnings, Mum's reply email failed to inquire after my health.  I haven't bothered to reply, to keep her on her toes.

Saturday
Today Shan, Ali and I took the ferry from the Amador Causeway to Isla Taboga, one of the islands close to Panama City.  It took about forty five minutes and cost $12 return.

The vessel looked sturdy enough, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

Some cried when we passed and they couldn't join in the fun...

And here we have it, Isla Taboga.

Above is where we plonked ourselves.

 Who'd have thought polystyrene could be so much fun?

Oh and now for the grand finale of this blog, the moment you've all been waiting for....a glimpse of my mosquito bites.  Fortunately they had died down a little since taking anti-histamines (which cost a fortune, and it turns out are NOT non-drowsy, but that's another story)

I hope you can see from this tiny picture.  But I took it in this way as a spoof of what the young uns are doing nowadays.  Anyway, the bites are MASSIVE and all swollen and stuff.

I do hope you've enjoyed this taster of what I have been up to this week.
Look after yourselves out there.
And if you're wondering why you can't comment it's because you can only do so if you have a gmail account.
Love to you all,
Rach x x x

First day...

Dear my fellow readers and fans,

I'm extremely sorry, but I have been desperately trying to post three videos of the flat and rood top terrace where I live, for your viewing pleasure, but for some reason it isn't working.  Which is a shame because they provide a mightily interesting insight into my life.  But also I wanted to make you green with envy.

So instead, I shall lumber you with a monologue about my weekend and back to school tales.  I might try and do a quick photo dash around the flat too, but that potato isn't going to jacket itself.

I shall begin with Friday.

Friday

Actually no, how about I recount the First Aid course of Wednesday?

Wednesday

On Wednesday we went for a First Aid course,with the nice Panamanian man from the Red Cross.  The most important thing we found out was that if a child gets a graze on the playground, then they must go straight to Accident and Emergency.  911, Emergency Services.  We laboured the point a little, just to double check, but we left without a shadow of a doubt.  Emergency.  Well, that should save on First Aid kits anyhow.

But what about Monday?  I hear some of you cry.  It's my favourite day of the week, oh do tell me a little about Monday.  Which naturally starts the Tuesday lovers piping up.  So for Tuesday and Thursday and Friday, please apply Monday's story...

Monday

Went into school.  No display boards up yet, no laptops, no air conditioning, no resources (they're stuck in Panama city docks* awaiting paperwork)

*For Thursday this now changes to Miami docks

Friday

On Friday evening we were so tired we decided we needed cheering up.  We got our special cocktail straws out, which naturally brighten the darkest of moods, cracked open the sparkling rose, and fine dined on pasta and pesto in Ali's flat.  We then met up with some friends we made when we were at the Bass' (please see blog 1 if this means nothing to you.  It was a crucial stepping stone in my life, and would be a shame for you to miss out).  We went to Ben who works at the Embassy's flat around the corner, and also met his girlfriend.  Both of whom are from London.  There was also Tristan (from England) and Ariel and Laura (from Panama)  And they all work at the Embassy.  They took us to a really fun, open air club, which is on the Amador causeway (a road out to the islands off from the city). There were only Panamanians there, and it was a right old hoot.  I schooled a few people in some of my more modern dance techniques, along with a fusion of some classic moves.  I think I can be pretty confident when I say that no Panamanian, or in fact some British, had seen some of these twists and turns before.  The other interesting cultural point is that in Panama it is the down with the kids thing, to only play fifteen seconds of a track.  That way, just as it is dawning on you what that classic Panamanian number 1 hit was, the D.J. will quickly change the track, to keep the surprises coming.

Our friend Ariel has a car, and he said he would take us to a Caribbean beach on Sunday for the day.  Imagine our excitement!

Saturday

Saturday means, Coat Hanger day!  Shan, Ali and I hit the mall with our lists, mine had 'coat hangers' written on it, and nothing else.  Some thought this was debatable as to whether it is still a list.  I also got a dongle which doesn't work in my flat, and a pair of sandals.  I bought six glasses for the flat at $1.99, a bargain considering the free kidney bean that came inside one of the glasses.  Fortunately they didn't spot that at the till, and I came away feeling pretty smug.

5.30pm A call received.  Must go in to school on Sunday and cancel all Caribbean plans.

Sunday

Due in at school at 1pm, so a cheery start to the day with a trip to the New York Bagel place. This was located on Plaza Cabeza de Einstein (Head of Einstein's Square)  If you come to Panama and are a little unsure, because street names haven't arrived here (possibly in a dock in Miami), then just look out for the MASSIVE head of Einstein in a square.  The bagel place was very cool, in a loft kind of place, with lots of bagels.

1pm school.  Operation GO GO GO (until 8pm)

Monday

A manic first day.  Nine kids in today of my eleven and only two speak English, and as of yet, no TA or nursery nurse.  And no resources.  I will leave you to imagine.  My favourite part of the day was hearing Ali walk past my classroom with her class of two, saying 'walk in a line'.

And that is me up to date.  I will try and get photos of the flat if I can't get the videos to work.

Thank you for all the lovely emails and messages.  I'm sure things will normalise soon .. :- / and I'll be able to spend some time replying and catching up.

Love galore to you all,
Rachel x x x x x