Free Pancakes!!!?

   I just found out that today is National Pancake Day!!!!! Elizabeth and I have gone to IHOP a few times and she loves it!!! I think I will give it a try today after I pick her up from school. They are giving away free pancakes in the States, but I am not sure about Panama. I will find out!!!

Chocolate "hamburger" pancakes!

Rainbow!!!!!!!!!

Bacon 'n eggs

Ryan Gosling

Such a clever idea!!!!

Growing up my Mom always added food colouring to rice and mashed potatoes to make us eat them. I will have to try this with EM!!!

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Mola re-do

The mola forms part of the traditional outfit of a Kuna woman. You can see in the photo the outfit on this woman. I took this photo at a market in Casco Viejo. She is also selling traditional Panamanian handicrafts. I did not buy my mola here, but in a less touristy part of Panama city. It was a little less expensive there. I appreciate the amount of work that goes into the making of a mola and I do feel they are underpriced at times. Also, the cheaper ones are not as skilfully done. The one I bought did have a few problems for this reason, but I still thought it was beautiful.

My mola was unfinished with frayed and uneven edges. The first thing I did was try and square it so that I could add a border.

After I trimmed it back to straight edges it was not quite square so I had to do some creative quilting.

Next, I removed some appliqué that I felt was not working. You can clearly see the stitches in this circle that are supposed to be hidden. I also removed the decorative stitching.

I added some of my own appliqué designs. I am not crazy about how the eyes turned out. Next time I will make them a little smaller and not as traditional.

I did a little decorative stitching in the blank spaces left be the appliqué that I removed. I also stitched over some appliqué to make it stand out a little more.

I filled in the black spaces with a little shimmery thread I had,

quilting it to the thick polyester batting. I actually found this process very relaxing...

Voila! A finished piece.

Hot Now

  I was SSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! excited when I realised that the building going up across the street from my apartment was going to be a Krispy Kreme Coffee and Donut Shop. Not necessarily because I love donuts (I do), but because it was a little piece of home. A slice of America. Elizabeth and I walked by everyday and checked out the progress. Finally the grand opening was in sight. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed the party that would ensue. The Panamanians know how to throw a grand opening party!!!
  When they erected the barriers for crowd control I thought that was a little much. Then the DJ started spinning and the crowd arrived. They lined up all night to be the first ones in. Free donuts for life for the first 13. Free donuts and t-shirts for the first few hundred.

   

they did indeed wait all night...

   It took a while for the hoopla to die down. As much as I do enjoy a delicious donut, I did not want to wait 30 minutes for one.

It was a Monday and as EM did not have school that day, I was to pick her up in Alyn's lobby. Walking by Krispy Kreme, the Hot Now sign caught my eye. I was a little early to get EM so I decided to cross the gauntlet of a street and finally indulge my sweet tooth.

I witnessed the delicious confections being glazed behind the clean glass, and smelled the mouth watering aroma that could only be deep fried heaven.

   After surveying every flavour for several minutes, I ordered the Triple Chocolate. Luckily the flavours are in English so it was quite an easy process. I am very far from being bilingual. After paying $1.30, the kid emerged from behind the counter and handed me a donut libre. That means a FREE original glazed donut!!! When I asked him "por que?", he said "hot now". In the past I had always overlooked these as being too plain, but I gratefully accepted this present.

   Once in the lobby I decided to try the plain donut. It was still a little warm, and the shiny glaze was a little sticky. After the first bite, I realised the significance of Hot Now. Plain or not, that was the best donut I ever had. Now every time I walk by Krispy Kreme, I look to see if the Hot Now beacon will summon me again. It has....

Isla Contadora

When my guests were here, we went with them to Isla Contadora, one of the beautiful Pearl Islands off of the coast of Panama in the Pacific.

We took a ferry from the Balboa Yacht Club on the Amador Causeway.

The ride took about 1hour and 15 minutes, but the time went by quickly. They showed a movie on a flatscreen TV on the boat. I think it was Jurassic Park, but I didn't pay attention. Plus it was in Spanish...

It was late February which is the "dry" season in Panama. The weather was gorgeous and the sky was as clear as the water. It made for smooth sailing, although the return trip was a little choppy. I spotted my future private paradise along the way......

The ferry stopped a few yards out and from there we took a little local johnny boat to shore. #saltlife

The water was beautiful and clear, with not too many waves.

I was able to search for sea glass and smooth rocks for my collections... #beachcombing

I wandered a around the island on my own before the tide got too high.

With a little paint and some elbow grease, I could have this up and running in no time! This boat was similar to the one we took back to Panama (kidding). #graffittiart

I found a project that had been abandoned half way through. I don't know what happened during the construction but the view was breathtaking. I pictured myself floating in the crystal pool with a Mojito in my hand...

I had always wanted to visit the Pearl Islands and was glad I had a chance to go with my friend Xiaoning.  Like most of Panama, it has beautiful aspects, and areas that just couldn't quite make it in the battle for tourism dollars. I liked it and enjoyed it's beauty. I will return to explore another day. Maybe by private plane?

Casco Viejo

View of Casco Viejo from the fish market

 Casco Viejo is one of my very favorite places to visit in Panama so I will probably (most certainly) have many posts following this vibrant, emerging town. It is just outside of Panama City, right at the end of Balboa Ave. It was built in the 1500's during the time of Pirates and Buccaneers. I can picture them in my minds eye, just like a scene from Pirates of the Carribbean. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" I literally wander aimlessly around the centuries old cobblestone streets for hours, peering in windows (which I probably shouldn't do) and open doors. I photograph the old tiled sidewalks and once majestic facades that now stand as mere shells of their former glory. My dear friend Xiaoning was visiting me on this particular trip so it was fun to see this place through the eyes of a tourist.

Graffiti art by Rolo de Sedas

Wandering, wandering, wandering...

Life imitates art.

wandering.......................

Shopping local

We purchased some beautiful hand embroidered pillow covers, and I found a new Mola to turn into something fabulous. That will be a separate post ;)

Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus

We wandered upon a very old lady feeding stray cats in La Compania church. There are MANY stray dogs in Panama, but they don't get as much attention as the cats. Xiao and I both have dogs, so we took an interest in this little guy.

Xiaoning and Viv with Panama City in the background

wandering.............

Esteban Huertas Promenade

We wandered along this beautiful stretch along the waterfront. I call it the Tourist Gauntlet as you can't walk 2 feet without someone trying to sell you local handicraft that most probably was made in China. Shop wisely my friends...

Granclement boutique ice cream shop

So after all this wandering around, shopping, and posing for touristy photos, I was ready for a little refreshment. I spotted this cute little place and fell in love with the artfully displayed scoop collection. How clever is that! And then I went inside..... :)