I am writing this almost 9 months after I actually went to Panama, but I kept a journal while I was there, so I’ve copied pieces of my entries into the blog so you know what exactly is going on. Fair warning:
This place is beautiful! I’ve seriously never experienced anything like this. Paradise is really what you’d call it. The grass is soft and green, the plants are INSANE, and the whole place seems to be built around service. It’s definitely an awesome vacation spot.
The shuttle to get here was a little weird to get used to. Our driver drove fast and the highway isn’t lit. This was especially noticeable when we almost hit a drunk guy who decided to walk on the highway. It also passes through the middle of small towns without slowing down or having any fencing, so seeing people on the side of the highway was pretty different for me.
Decameron is pretty, I’m glad I’m staying with friends though. Dani picked us up that night and took us to the house where we’d be staying. First off, I was thinking we’d be staying in a Panamanian house (I’m thinking cinderblocks, 2-3 rooms, sleeping on the floor, etc.) so I was blown away when Dani took us around the house. Dani’s mom works for Oracle, bought the house when it was a pipe dream at $500k, and now the house is worth over $1 mil. It’s beautiful, the whole neighborhood is. It shows how much the place has grown and been developed over the past 5-10 years. We’re a five minute walk from another hotel/resort called Bristol Buenaventura which has restaurants and all the services that hotels do. So far, they’ve treated us just like guests, letting us use the pool, call cabs, etc.
So now what? I’m really excited to explore, but we still have some time to sit around and be lazy for a few days. We’re heading to Panama City in a few days to see the canal. Here are some of the pictures I’ve gotten so far:
So pretty!
David in Japan 