March 10 Blog Catch Up Time
Memorable Events
David to Bocus Del Toro Bus ride:
Little did we understand Friday March 4 was a holiday day for Panamanians! Bus station breakfast: large fluffy pancake for .80! 8 am and the 2 hour line up for a bus was absolutely a gem: Oh the sights to be seen! Mini busses were running fast and furious - jostling, pushing, squeezing big and small people, animals, ice chests, large plastic bags, ice coolers, copious boxes of Panama, Atlas and Balbou beer... compliant dogs tied into large plastic bags - heads with bright, soft eyes and ears at half mast - obviously experienced in the ways of travel. Chickens trussed up in tidy packages ready for the journey... To our astonishment the dogs are secured to the top of the bus, wedged in among bags, boxs and luggage, our wheely beasts, heads sticking up to ride the wind. They safely arrive at their destination and we are grateful and relieved!
This is Chiriqui Province - a favored destination for North American travellers and expats. The 4.5 hour trip to Bocas del Toro Province was magical and stunningly beautiful: banana groves, jungle vines, yellow, red and pink flowering shrubs and trees, rolling hills and farms with lop-eared bunny/cows (we are frantic to get a photo, love 'em!), and miles of valley vistas . The Fortuna Road pushes our heavily overloaded bus over a steep mountain pass, stops to gasp and wheez at Lago Fortuna long enough to buy fresh pineapple chunks from bus window venders before scooting quickly down to the turquoise Carribean sea and depressing town of Almirante - ramshackle dwellings with garbage, and toilets littering the ocean front.
A 45 minute water taxi delivers us into the chaos of Bocas del Toros Carnival, and the comforting arms of our $85 air-con, private bathroom, kitchette, studio suite condo!!!!! We know this will push the limits of our budget and we bask in the glory of it!
CARNIVAL
4 Days of constant 20 -24 hour music and beer, dancing devils and grilled chicken and chirizo kabobs. All of this comes to a righteous conclusion Monday to Tuesday night with:
- Carnival Princesses have the dubious honor of Dirty Dancing with the Devils on stage in front of anyone who can wade through the stench of beer and empty beer cans of Central Avenue - in the 90+ degree heat and 90% humidity.
- The first 4 days are dominated by about 40 red or black costumed devils, with full custom head dress harrassing any non-devil with snapping and whistling whips. They are frequently endearing and very funny, occasionally intimidating and hurting those who give them grief. The general rule appears to be: whip from the knee down; unfortunately there is often many errant lashing, e.g one devil sustained a 6 inch upper chest wound; it is not uncommon to see men with whip welts or open cuts bleeding, and men bearing scars from previous years.
- To the delight of the crowd and Jim's surprise and chagrine, a black attired devil leaped on his back attempting to ride piggy back style while doing a full shimmy with all four limbs - even more surprising Sherry was so astonished she never even got a photo!
- Monday night: Brilliantly Sequined and Feathered Carnival costumes adorn the four pretty young women selected as Carnival Princesses - an honor requiring them to regally tetter and dance on outragious high heels whilst riding a float through the plastered carnival crowd. They are delivered onto the stage where they once again get to dance to the crowd, this time with extra large mulitcoloured confetti showered on them produced by .....a special confetti making machine!
- Fireworks to rival Vancouver's International Fireworks competition, the crowd responds with resounding cheers and singing of viva la Panama!
Tuesday - Day of Reckoning for the Devils misdeeds
6 - 9 pm: 'Non Devils' of young teenaged and adult males are armed with various whips now take on the Devils. In a showdown reminisent of a Clint Eastwood movie, the total four blocks of Central Avenue features the Non-devils at one end, and the Devils far at the opposite. With challenging taunts the Non Devils charge The Devils - these first skirmishes last for 1 - 2 minutes and have several groups of 2 - 3 Devils ganging up on one tougher Non - Devil. Although the action is basically contained on the street, the event is audience participation, as you must always be alert to the the action rapidly changing with devils and non devils moving the squimish into the crowd. After an hour or so, the tide turns when Non-Devils start to overcome the Devils, they isolate and lasso them one at a time, drag them over to the 'good; Non-Devil side. This captured Devil now has to run a gauntet of Non-Devils and other members of the population (including some women and younger children), all with whips and a distance of 1 - 2 blocks. Satan runs as fast as possble, leaping in an attempt to minimze whip contact and running until out of sight.
We are grateful to have Dwane, a follow Canadian share his video clips with us as the whole event was simply unbelievable - it's very difficult to describe with the sheer number of participants, the whipping skills, the sound of whips snapping and cracking, music (of course) playing, and the chaos and excitment of the crowd.