Plinio Tower

Behind one of the local Manuel Antonio hotels, there is a nature trail that leads to what it called the "Plinio Tower". Aleasha and I hiked the short but steep trail, which led to large wooden tower. After climbing several levels of stairs and a short ladder, we were at the top with a 360 degree view of Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and its surrounding area. In short, it was beautiful. As you can see, we had a view of the harbor, the new marina that is being built, and the mountain range at the backdrop of the city. Aleasha could pick out the road to her house and I was given a different perspective of the road that I travel countless times per day. We couldn't have asked for a better day to enjoy the view.

Watchie-Men

My first encounter with a Watchie-Man was outside of Super Mas (a local grocery store), loading groceries into Scott and Nicki's first vehicle, a large nine passenger van. A small man in a orange and yellow reflective vest came up, holding out his hand, asking for his pay for watching our car. As I pulled out two 100 colones coins, I hear Nicki yell from the store, "ANNA!! NO!! DON'T GIVE HIM ANY MORE MONEY!" I looked at him, shrugged my shoulders, and went to help Nicki carry her groceries.

These Watchie-Men hang out outside the Super Market, the Disco, on busy Quepos streets, and at the beach. If you park within their territory, they assure you as your leave your car that they will take good care of it, and at the beach they even ask you to pay upfront, explaining that they only work until 4pm. Recently, they went a little too far. I came back to my car after a long day at the beach to find this small piece of paper on my windshield. My first thought was that it was a parking ticket for parking the wrong direction on the road, but honestly, there are no parking rules in Costa Rica. If a parking ticket would have thrown me off guard, this blew me away. I died when I read the fine print.

Recibi de (recieved for): Parkin

La Suma de (for the amount of): 1000 colones ($2)

Por alquiler de (for rental of): Carr

I had received a Watchie Man ticket! While he never came back to collect his "dues", I kept the "ticket" for a keepsake.

Nikki & Logan

Last week, the Dykgraafs came down to Costa Rica to start their three week vacation in Manuel Antonio. It is great to have them here! We have had lunch, hung out, and had some time to catch up.

Yesterday, Nikki and I decided to get our nails done, but waited for the afternoon so that we could enjoy the beach while the sun was still out. It was a good thing, because it down poured right after getting into the salon. So we were sheltered from the rain. The only thing we didn't account for was the raging river (okay, maybe a five foot overflowing gutter) that was between the entrance of the salon and the street. And while the ladies tired to convince two small tico men to carry me over the river to protect my newly painted nails, I opted for running on my heels. Which didn't work. But my nails stayed in tact.

I shock my friends when I introduce Nikki (who is my height and mistaken for a college student) by telling them that I was her neighbor and babysitter back in Michigan. The fact that she is going to HCHS next year, along side of the fact that I just got the invitation to my five year reunion, makes me feel old. It also didn't help that I made a reference to Oasis' Champagne Super Nova (a song that marked my freshman year of high school) which was followed by two high schoolers staring at me like I was singing an oldie. And while all of this may sound like self imposed age-pity, it is rather my opinion that I am allowed to grow up, but that the kids that I babysit for are not.

But the good news is, while Nikki is 14 and Logan is 12, we were still able to bond (both willingly and excitedly) over building a Lego pyramid. There is comfort in knowing that some things wont change.

Not Okay

Hold out your hand. Yeah. That is how big this mother of a beast was. And it was sitting right outside my door. I wanted to cry. Instead, I ran upstairs for backup. A few snapshots and a shoe later, she was dead at my doorstep. Probably six inches long. Not Okay.

Panama, Part 5: The Culture and City

Although our experience in Panama was limited by time, we were still able to get a good taste, even if brief, of what makes Panama City unique. One of things that we couldn't ignore was the public transit system. Since taxis were cheap (between $2-$5) and since the bus schedule/routes were unknown, we didn't have the chance to actually ride the bus. But we definitely noticed them. Public buses in Panama City are old school buses, with a twist. Each driver puts his creative genius to work, getting to design his bus with paint, neon lights, or the occasional fins. Everything from famous singers,to historical places, to cereal box characters are airbrushed on the sides of buses all over town. My personal favorite- the Mobile Disco. For $10 you can hop on this bus, which is fully equipped with DJ, dance floor, disco ball, and an open bar. It runs between Cinco de Mayo and the Causeway, picking up partiers all night long.

While in Panama City, we had the chance to see some of the different neighborhoods, and experience, even if briefly, some distinct parts of their culture. We saw a lot of the indigenous Cuna Indians. The women for the Cuna tribe still wear their traditional dress, which is brightly covered, with layered patterns and beaded leggings. While in the city we were able to stop and see a lot of the traditional artwork, much of which included colorful tapestries like the ones in the pictures. They had shops in the touristy areas of the city, but also set up along sidewalks in Casco Viejo.

We were running out of time (and daylight) Sunday night when we were touring the city, but had the chance to briefly walk through Casco Viejo, the historic district. We were advised to be off the streets by seven, so we only had a short hour to browse. Along the sides of this narrow street are newly renovated buildings, designed and painted with a Spanish feel. Right next door, are run down houses with clothes lines crossing the streets, and broken and deserted stairways. There is beautiful architecture, ruins of old official buildings and monasteries, and restored cathedrals. Outside of the business district, it has a good view of the skyline and gives a feel for the character of the city and it's history. We watched teens hanging out at their skate park, the cement deck of an abandoned building and we saw an official beach "futbol cinco" match, at the foot of the old city.

Panama, Part 4: Shopping

One thing that Panama is known for in Costa Rica is the inexpensive shopping. Everything from clothing, to wine to car parts- all at a fraction of the price in Costa Rica. Because the Canal brings shipments, goods are bought without taxes or shipping costs. Even new cars are thousands of dollars cheaper. But don't try to buy one and road trip it back, there is a $500 limit of what you can bring back (tax free) into the country. If you go above that, you will pay taxes on your purchase that makes the savings unsubstantial. However, for the border running tourists that we were, we were content finding 99 cent jewelry and jeans for $2.99.



While Panama has beautiful malls that resemble malls in the states, if you want to find the deals, you need to head to local shopping districts. Saturday morning, we headed down to Cinco de Mayo, a closed off street lined with stores advertising $0.99 shirts and $20 stereo systems. In order to enter the store, you need to check all our bags at the Paqueteria (Packet/Bag place), and outside of every store there are men standing on ladders, watching shoppers. I guess they are a little concerned about theft, because on top of that, there are numerous store employees following shoppers throughout the store, somewhat like a personal shopping assistant. Aleasha bought a large bag, and became our own personal shopping assistant, helping us transport our purchases for the day.



One of the big purchases for the day was my very first pair of tica jeans. Let me explain. We have a joke here that clothing is one size fits all. I walk into a store and would have do some awkward maneuvering to squeeze myself into the jeans that are available. Somehow, to my amazement, women about twice my size wear the same size jeans. Tight, to say the least. So, when Aleasha showed me these jeans for $2.99, I thought it was a good time to take a risk. Sarah, Aleasha, and I, all sported our metallic jeans our for dinner.

The outfit? Lets do this mastercard style.
Jeans: $2.99
Racer back Tank: $0.99
Beaded necklace: $0.99
Shoes: $1.99
Going out to a nice dinner, sporting your first pair of tica jeans and matching two of your friends: priceless.

Panama, Part 3: The Panama Canal

One of the main reasons we took the extra long trip from the frontera to the capital was to see one of the 7 (or is it the 8th?) Wonders of the World- the Panama Canal. While the waterway was once owned and controlled by the US, in 2000 all the rights to the canal were given back to the Panamanians. And they claim it proudly. Driving out to the locks, our taxi driver showed us what was once an American estate, acres and acres of administrative buildings, housing complexes, and military bases. The American influence is prevalent, whether it is reflected in the use of US currency, or in the presence of mega malls and movie theaters.

We visited the Miraflores Locks, the first set of dual locks just inland from the Pacific Ocean. We got there just in time to see two large barges passing through at the same time. We watched the locks empty water, lowering the vessels to sea level. Because the locks were built in 1914, there is a need for more efficient and a larger passageway that can accommodate larger ships. Panama has started a project to expand the Canal, adding a new set of locks. This project, when finished, will cost well over 5 billion dollars. But with an average toll of $54,000 per ship, at 35+ boats a day, the investment will pay for itself.

Below is a map of the Canal, and a mini control station that Christi and Sarah played in, showing what is like to be driving a boat through the Canal. All just perks of visiting the Canal's museum.

Panama, Part 2: The Amador Causeway

One of the many perks of traveling with five women is the safety in numbers and of course the company and conversation. We laughed a lot, slept a little, and scrunched- in taxis, elevators, and around small tables. As you can see from the pics, we loved it.

One of the places we were told we absolutely had to visit was the Causeway. The Causeway is a long pier that was constructed using the dirt and rock that was removed when digging the Canal. It acts as an artificial harbor at the Canal's entrance into the Pacific Ocean. They constructed the pier so that it attached three small Islands off the coast, much like the islands you see in my pictures in Manuel Antonio.

There is a road on the pier, lined with palm trees and leading to small complexes of restaurants and shops. You can rent bicycles and peddling carts for up to four people. So, doing what we do best, we rented a four person cart, squeezed five of us on, and commanded the sidewalk. It took me a while to figure out I had no real steering power from the left hand side. But I tried anyway. It was a blast, and because the back pedals did absolutely nothing, I may or may not have worked up a sweat.

From the Causeway, there is a great view of the Panama City skyline and the bridge that crosses over the entrance of the Canal. It was a great place to walk, bike, and take pictures. There are hotels, shops, and marinas lining the strip, and the sidewalk reminds me a lot of the running trail on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. You can definitely spend a whole day here.

As the five of us ate dinner at the Causeway, drinking wine, enjoying the ocean breeze, and staring at the illuminated Panama City skyline across the harbor, the profound question arose: If you were a monster, how would you smile? This is what we came up with...

Panama, Part 1: Border Run

Because I am not a resident of Costa Rica, every 3 months, I am required to leave the country for 72 hours in order to legally stay here. Most gringos do what has been called a "border run", going to Panama or Nicaragua for three nights in order to get their passport stamped (and it is a great excuse to travel a little as well). This past weekend, I traveled to Panama with four of my girlfriends to do just that.

On the Pacific side of Costa Rica, you pass the border at Paso Canoa. The frontera, or border, is about 3 1/2 hours from Manuel Antonio. Friday afternoon, Aleasha, Christi, Sarah, Andrea and I packed into my car and drove down the coastal road, which dead ended into the Panamanian immigration building. After checking out of Costa Rica, we crossed a busy street, lined with vendors, restaurants, and men offering to help exchange currency. We parked our car at a local restaurant that charges 2.000 ($4) a day, grabbed our hand written receipt, and headed for the Panamanian side.

Here, a young kid, about 15, offered to help us. We bought our $5 tourist visa, but when we went to the entrance window, we were told that they needed evidence that we were indeed going to leave the country. We tried to explain that we had a car there, but that wasn't convincing enough. So, instead of buying a $25 bus ticket back to San Jose that we would never use, our young guide bribed officer and we got through paying a mere $17 per person. Everything was dirty, shady, and just a little too difficult. But we hailed a taxi, crossing smoothly, and got off in David, the closest city to la frontera.

We were in David by 8pm, had some dinner, and hopped a 10:45 bus to Panama City, sleeping on the 6 hour drive. (On a side note, when we bought the tickets we had to give the ticket lady our names. She had a hard time with it. My ticket was labeled Anna Sterk. Better was Christi's- Greesti... my and my ticket to the right). It was a long drive, but we were equipped with Dramamine and Tylenol PM, making the most of our short trip. The only thing I didn't expect was the air conditioning! It was so cold that I was determined to buy jeans on the trip for the way home!

We arrived at the bus terminal at 4:50 am, paid 25 cents to use the restroom to freshen up, and then grabbed a taxi to bring us to the closest 24 diner. After breakfast, we found a hotel that gave us a great rate- $50 for five twin beds (to the left, above, Christi showing off our close quarters). Seeing as it was only 7:30am, we waited in the lobby for them to finish cleaning the room... and may or may not have fallen asleep in the process... not a problem until the duena (manager) came out to scold us.