TheExpatJournals.com

I have had a couple of holiday traditions since moving to Panama. One has been to ‘play Santa Claus’ for about 1000 kids on 4 islands in San Blas. It is always treacherous and taxing to get there as the weight I take out mandates a trip by other than air. Last year, it was an overloaded canoe over the ocean in 15 foot swells for 7 hours after a bus ride from Hell. This year, we passed over the mountains near Chepo on a dirt road that grew progressively worse as we neared the Atlantic side until we were simply sliding down sideways to seemingly certain death. I repeat, mud is to driving in the tropics what snow and ice are in the US mountains. That was one of the 2 scariest drives of my life. Flying back and looking at that ribbon of a road
that runs along the very peak of the mountains, I knew that if I had seen the realty of the drop offs beside as we slid sideways down the steep grade that I would never have considered going up there to begin with. The old addage is true, ignorance is bliss. (more…)