Finishing up in Panama City.....

When last I left you, Michael had just finished his first talk at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center.  After a quick meet and greet accompanied by wonderful fried “taquito-esque” appetizers and cold, cold beer, Allen suggested that we walk the 15 minutes (more like 30) to a Peruvian restaurant that he loved.

The walk thru Panama City was enjoyable as we watched the hustle and bustle of a typical big city just after working time is over.  We walked thru a pedestrian mall with all of the stores playing loud Latin music trying to entice shoppers into their store.

The architecture was typical for a Latin American country, complete with bright colors and intricate wrought iron…..

As we passed this church I had to snap a few photos…..

I wish that we had been able to stop for a few minutes to have a look inside!!

The first question as we sat at our table was what we wanted to drink.  Michael and Allen chose a Sangria but I had to have the classic Panamanian drink….the Pisco Sour…..

It is made from Peruvian Pisco (a type of brandy), lime or lemon juice, simple syrup, an egg white and a few drops of bitters.  It is whipped until frothy and served over ice.  It was so refreshing.

Now it was time to order dinner.   One of the other things that Panama is famous for is their Ceviche….fish that has been marinated in lime juice and served raw.  I was skeptical but found it to be really good.   We also ordered grilled Octopus for one of the appetizers…..

….and it ended up being my favorite of the evening. 

For the main course, I had a Sea Bass with a tomato sauce and Michael had Garlic Prawns…..

My meal was nice but his was delicious!!!

Of course we had to order dessert and we both chose the sweet, cold Flan…..

As you can see, all of the plates had gorgeous presentation!!!

I fell in love with the tiled floor and especially like the tile just above the blank one.....

It has so much depth to it!!!

We walked back out of the city, with Allen taking us thru some of the un-gentrified areas.  The best scene of the evening was a house with it’s doors wide open and lots of people sitting outside.  They had all gathered to watch the Panama vs Honduras Soccer match.  It was quite a spectacle.

Allen took a side trip into a bar just so we could see the city from the balcony……

It was worth the diversion!!

But the best/worst spectacle of the evening was this Mola Swimsuit……

You may disagree, but I thought that it was hideous!!!

We were passed by one taxi that had his windows down and rap music blaring….we did NOT ride with him!!

On Wednesday morning we headed to another of the STRI institutes located on Naos Island.   To get there, you drive out on a Causeway that was built to help protect the Canal from silt buildup.  It was interesting to be on this narrow piece of land with Panama Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

As Michael started his talk, I went for a walk along the Causeway, stopping at a small “Super Mercado” (grocery store) to buy a bottle of water and a snack.   There were tables set up just outside of the store and I joined two other people watching a Spanish dubbed version of Little House on the Prairie!!

As I walked back to the Institute, I enjoyed seeing the Panama City Skyline in the daylight……

…..and watching a group of Pelicans enjoying the sun.  There was one who was either a bad fisherman or he REALLY loved to dive into the water, and I watched as he dove over and over again.  

The drive to Allen's home follows along the canal and I was once again amazed by the sheer size of the container ships, especially compared to the size of the tug boats that guide them!!!

We arrived back at the house and packed up for the next leg of our adventure….more to come!!