a side trip to Panama...

We finally got to go into Panama.  We had been wanting to do that for years.

from the border it was an hour's ride in a land taxi, then a half-hour ride in a river taxi...

til  we came to a place of rest: The Terrazzza...

which had this little dock on which to hang out, watching the boats come and go, and the birds dive and fish, and the fish jump, and the sun set itself down in livid colors...

this little town, this lively village, where the buildings wore coats of many colors...

and walking down the street was like browsing through an art gallery of sorts...

and even the fences came popping from someone's imagination....

and the railings needed hearts, swirls, and cool Caribbean colors...

where most restaurants were mostly outdoors and wearing happy colors...

and we tried Lili's "You're killing me man" sauce... (HOT!!)

and every wall was a canvas for an art piece...

and even the oldest buildings showed their sense of style...

Yes, we finally made it to Panama.  And we enjoyed every minute of our time there,

.in the tiny town of Bocas del Torro, on a little island off of the coast of Panama.