Panama

So my gut reaction is to say 2020 was a crap year.  Poppy passed away, there's a worldwide pandemic that has limited travel opportunities, I broke a tooth by way of an epic fall while running. 

Still, the rest of my family have our physical health.  I don't know anyone in my family or friends who has passed from this dreadful disease.  So I am feeling a bit grateful for that.  Mental health probably features a little depression all around.

Going a little stir crazy, and hearing that Panama had reopened its borders, my wife and I pushed ahead with our plan to seek residency in Panama.  The rate limiting step was the apostille for our FBI criminal background checks.  This wasn't surprising given the state of the government during the election, complicated by the pandemic.

We hired a pet relocation specialist to help with moving Wally.  That was expensive!

With papers in hand, we contacted our Panamanian lawyer and got the green light to go to Panama.  

We shed most of our furniture and things we could bear to part with, and put the rest into a very small storage space.

We were able to procure a RT-PCR test with a less than 48 hour turn around time.  We bought some KN95 masks.  Finally we rented a car, sold our car,  and made our way to the airport.  We flew first/business class in hopes of maintaining some physical distance between us and our fellow passengers.

There were no major problems in transit.  Passing through customs was a breeze.  We got to our Airbnb by taxi.  We spent a month in Panama City.

Wally arrived safely.  It's a warm place for a little Cairn Terrier.

The mornings are beautiful, but still too warm for me to run more than 4 miles while trying to wear a mask. 

But I did manage one 8 mile run.

We took a boat ride on the Panama Canal and saw all types of wildlife, including monkeys.

After spending February in Panama City, we arranged for transport to a beach resort area.

I brought the necessary tools to workout.

Tortillas in Panama are these little corn cakes.  I like mine cooked in butter with an egg and cheese on top.

I've seen some interesting insects.

We went down to meet the fishing boat and bought some fish.  I think it is a Spanish Mackerel.  We had them gut them for us.  It was 3 dollars for both fish, but I tipped the guy 2 for gutting them for us.

4 miles?

We are leaving the coast soon in order to explore the much cooler highlands.  Hopefully I can get some decent running distance in.