Panama Day 3 - Chitre

Monday October 1

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Day 3 - official itinerary:

After breakfast, you'll depart Panama City for the Azuero region, stopping en route to visit the town of Chorrera. You'll explore a local produce market in search of ripe fruits and vegetables. Your Trip Leader will explain how to select the best produce. 

Next you'll arrive at Feuillet Park, a vibrant urban oasis where you'll meet local entrepreneurs and mingle with people as they shop, work, and socialize. Then savor a Home-Hosted Lunch, as you learn to cook an authentic recipe with a local, using the produce your group helped to select at the market earlier today to make your meal. Your Trip Leader will help facilitate discussion as you learn about everyday life in Panama. After experiencing a Panamanian welcome, you'll depart to Chitre. One of Panama's oldest communities, Chitre is a charming modern city with vestiges of its colonial past—most vividly seen in its ornate, red-tiled Spanish houses. Chitre has also been called "the gateway to the Azuero Peninsula," a less-touristed area of Panama known for its colonial traditions, festivals, and handcrafts.

Upon arrival, you'll check in to your hotel and enjoy an orientation walk with your Trip Leader. This evening, enjoy an included dinner at your hotel.

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We had to get up early because our suitcases were supposed to be outside our rooms at 7 am. And we needed to be in the lobby ready to go at 8:30. No problem. The luggage was brought with a little bus to the big bus and then the little bus brought us to a very poor area not far. This is were Manuel Noriega, the dictator from 1983 to 1989, had his headquarter carefully selected in the middle of heavy population of poor people.

First we were taken to the police station where we were shown a movie about the invasion by the USA on December 20, 1989. This town and others were heavily bombed. It included pictures very difficult to see and propaganda (facts?) I am not sure about what to think.

The two young men talking to us are trying very hard to educate the children so they do not join gangs. The children meet for all sorts of fun activities at this police station. No doubt a very difficult situation.

We walked to the spot where Noriega's headquarter used to be and where it was heavily bombed ... just a few days before Christmas. So depressing.

(shared by Octavio)

After going one block to the place were the bombed headquarter used to be we went back to the police station were a survivor talked about his experience of those days. 

The big bus had come, we collected our hand luggage from the little bus and went on our way. Plenty of seats to choose from.

Not far we and go over the Bridge of the Americas going over the entrance to the Panama Canal. Not the best picture taking from the driving bus but interesting though.

Then we drive along on the Pan-American Hwy which goes from Ushuaia, Argentina, all the way to Canada. Next stop: La Chorrera. We stop at a market. Octavio puts us in groups and gives each group leader money and a shopping list. Of course in Spanish. The salespersons are used to this and it wasn’t a problem. Quite fun.

(shared by Octavio)

(shared by Octavio)

Back to the bus and to Edita for the home-hosted lunch. We were there about 11:30 am. After the introduction and washing our hands she put us to work. The first photo is the light switch in the bathroom.

Edita is a tiny little woman. She is at least in her 60s and very spanky. She knew exactly how she wanted things cut and prepared. We cut or chopped onions, tomatoes and parsley for the pico de gallo. The plantains needed to be peeled which was quite a job. The mature (ripe) ones were cut slanted and deep-fried once. The green ones were cut in straight slices at least 1  or 1 1/2 inches thick. They were deep-fried once to soften them, pressed flat with a special board and fried some more. I was so happy to see how this is done because it was what James had ordered two days ago and I had wondered.

(shared by Octavio)

(shared by Octavio)

Finally other things were brought out from the kitchen and at 12:30 we ate buffet style. All was very nice.

And then it was time to leave about 1:15 pm.

Driving along its quite interesting to see daily life pass by. And the landscape changed too. We saw mountains. Very pretty. Tried to take pictures out of the moving bus.

We reached our hotel in Chitre about 5 pm. The Hotel Cubita is very nice but we find out that the internet is even worse then in Panama City. Oh well.

There is a little supermarket were we buy a bottle of red wine and some nuts. Now we are also the proud owners of yet another corkscrew. We sat on our little patio with view of the pool and enjoyed life.

Later we joined others from the group in the open-air lounge and had lively conversations. Dinner was there as well at 7 pm. All very nice.

(shared by Octavio)

Steps today: 5283