To Panama

This blog format is all in Spanish. I hope this works!!!!!!!!

Neither Bo nor I slept very much last night and 3:45 AM came very early. I have not flown in about nine years and I can now verify that if there ever was any glamor in commercial air travel, the terrorists have managed to wring out any . My bags went through the scanner and a burley NTS guy looks at me in my 5' 7” sock clad feet and says “You got any electronic gear in this thing? As I was stammering, trying to remember what was in that one, he says “When was the last time you flew an airline?” “A long time ago.” says I. “Did you pack these bags yourself?” says he. “Yes sir.” I said as politely as possible. “Then you autta know there's a lap top in this one. The bag and the computer are gonna have to go through the screener again. You're probably gonna miss your flight!” he said. “Well, I sure hope not.” I said as I put on my shoes ,hoping the extra half inch would add something to my stature. At least I had the good sense not to tell him I still had about 45 minutes before my flight left. I'm certain had I done so, the plane would have left without me. Well, I'm in Panama so that turned out okay.
The regional airplane that flew me to Houston had 2 rows of seats on one side and one row on the other, my head was almost touching the ceiling and the isle was just wide enough for a pigmie. I took one look down that narrow tube and my claustrophobia kicked in. By the time I squeezed into my seat I had managed somehow to control my hyperventilation. Fortunately I was in a seat in the single isle. Had I been in a window seat on the two row side...well I don't even like to think about it. The plane was full with about 30 stand by passengers waiting outside for someone like me to panic and make room for one of them. Fortunately, in the end, neither I nor the pilots panicked and we made it to Houston. I changed terminals in Houston and got on a much bigger plane for the three and one half hour ride to Panama.
Kristel Samuido, our former au pair, her father, mother, brother and niece met me at the airport here in Panama, but I was not able to spend any time with them (they drove 2 hours to get here) because my driver from he school, Raul Ortega, was not about to turn me over to a bunch of strangers. His job was to get me to la casa de la familia Acosta. I will email Kristel, apologize once again and arrange to go to Colon for a weekend visit in a couple of weeks.
On the way to the Acosta family I told Raul (in Spanish) that I needed to purchase an international phone card. He said “Okay no problema”, and he pulled into the parking lot of the next convenience store we passed and said that I could get my card inside. “Solo?”, I asked and he said “si”. I walked into the store, looked around and did not see any cards on display so I took my place in a long line of people waiting to pay for stuff. When I got to the clerk I asked for the card and she asked if I wanted one for local, long distance or international calls. When I got back to the car Raul looked at the card, gave a nod of approval and we drove off.
It only takes the drive from the airport to the Acosta family residence to know that this is a very poor country. Everywhere I have been here today I have been treated with kindness.
More on my adventures with the Acosta family tomorrow and I promise pictures.