Panama Day 7

 Today was our last day on Contadora. Joel and Bennett got up super early to go fishing at 6. Joel had met and hired on panga to take them out for $45/hr. Joel ended up catching a red snapper and gave it to the panga. He said the panga was really working hard, constantly calling his buddies to see where the fish were biting. 

They came back while Caroline and I were at breakfast. Caroline is a huge fan of the pancakes at the hotel. She ate 3 today and a few bites of scrambled eggs. After breakfast we finished packing and hung out at the beach. It was probably due to the early morning wake up time but the kids didn’t feel like playing in the water much today, plus it was super super hot. We ate lunch on the beach then were driven to the dock around 2:30 to catch the daily ferry at 3:30. 

Once in Panamá City, we checked into our hotel, a really nice Hilton. It might be the fanciest hotel the kids have stayed in yet! We tried to take a quick dip in the pool but the sun was setting and the wind was whipping, so it wasn’t pool weather. People were loaded into the hot tub so we weren’t able to do that either. We just laid around, until it was time to get ready for diner.

We ate dinner at Restaurante Tinajas, a Panamanian restaurant with cultural dancing. The dance show started at 8 and the kids were tired, barely eating any of their meal. Caroline fell asleep on my lap at one point. But joel did get picked to dance on stage, so that was a highlight. As soon as the show was over, we caught an Uber for the 2 minute ride back to the hotel. The kids were in bed before joel and I could even walk into the door. 

I don’t think any of us are ready to go home. Both kids said they wished we were still at Contadora, despite the fact that they were both super moody today. Then once we go to the Hilton and we found out their have some kind of Cirque du Solei style show here, she was bummed we only one night in Marbella because she said it isn’t enough to do everything she wants to see. I think I tomorrow will be a quiet morning of breakfast and the pool since we need to leave the hotel around 11/11:30 for the airport. 

Panamá Day 6

 Today was a totally relaxing day. Joel and I took an early morning walk before breakfast and visited the other public beaches on the island. 

Then we had breakfast. Today they actually got the kids’ orders just the way they like it, so Caroline are 3 pancake and half of her eggs, which is probably the most she has eaten this whole trip.

Then we decided to spent the day at the other big public beach, Playa Larga. Another family recommended it because the restaurant on the beach was about half the price of the restaurant at our hotel. The kids and Joel did a little snorkeling. Otherwise we mostly just relaxed, swam, and reapplied sunscreen. I managed to finish a book, which was a great victory!

Lunch was delicious and while the food was cheap, the drinks were more expensive than other places. 

We left the beach around 3, and took a taxi (golf cart) back, for once. The walk from the hotel to the beach is only about 15 mins but when it’s 90 and sunny, it’s much more taxing than one would expect. The $5 cab ride was well worth it!

Back at the hotel, we did much the same as we did on the other beach. A family was playing an intense game of soccer and invited Bennett to play.  He has been dreaming of this moment the entire trip! Joel and I switched from Balboa and Panamá beers to caipirinhas, which were super delightful. Joel started chatting with a guy from Columbus, Ohio, who happened to be an engineer on the Honda Odyssey! That was very exciting for him. Eventually we had dinner at the hotel and the kids actually ate a full meal of spaghetti bolognese. It’s our last night in Contadora, and I don’t think any of us are rest to go.